The Worst Mission in Kuchiki Taichou's Life
by Usamimi chan
Summary: LATE UPDATE, SORRY READERS! Kuchiki Byakuya is sent to the world of the living, on a mission which involves staying with Ichigo. So, who is babysitting who? The fact that they can't stand each other is not helping. The story is more interesting than the summary. Read on! Shounen Ai/ BL / Yaoi.
1. Chapter 1

**I DO NOT OWN BLEACH. (But I suppose I'd like to.)**

A/N: This story is set after the war with Aizen, but before the Fullbringer arc, assuming that Ichigo lost his powers gradually instead of all at once. Mostly a humorous take on how things would go if Byakuya was on a mission to the World of the Living.

**The plot is still in the making, in the twisted depths of my mind. But I promise it will be entertaining even until the plot is refined.**

**Heavily implied Byakuya X Ichigo (Nothing explicit. At least not YET). I love that pairing right next to Byakuya X Renji and I couldn't help but notice there weren't enough fanfics for ByaIchi fangirls!**

**Therefore, my first attempt at fanfiction. Hope you enjoy it!**

**Just so you know, I'll enjoy reviews. Criticism is welcome. Praise is even more welcome!  
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><p><strong>The Worst Mission in Kuchiki Taichou's Life<strong>

**Chapter 1: The Welcome**

Ichigo cursed under his breath as he headed reluctantly to Urahara's shop. What did the man want now? With his reiatsu in the process of disappearing and his entire system still recovering from the war, Ichigo was not expected to fulfill any Shinigami duties. More like, he had been advised not to (after all, Ichigo did not care about other people's expectations). His ability to sense hollows was not very efficient right now. So why had Urahara asked him to urgently be at the shop this evening?

"Aaah. Kurosaki san you have arrived – and just in time too!" Urahara spoke behind the fan he was flapping in his hand as Ichigo entered the yard in front of the shop.

"What do you want? And just in time for what?" Ichigo was about to ask a few more annoyed questions when he realized a senkaimon had appeared near them. The doors slid open.

"Byakuya? What the hell are you doing here?" If Ichigo wasn't annoyed already, seeing Rukia's arrogant stuck-up icy brother step gracefully out of the senkaimon would have made him annoyed. The noble always got on his nerves. Why was a captain here anyway?

"Welcome to Karakura town, 6th division Captain, Kuchiki Byakuya-sama." The respect in Urahara's voice was almost mocking.

That, and being addressed in an inappropriately informal manner by Kurosaki Ichigo, made Byakuya change his indifferent cold expression into a deadly glare. "Urahara Kisuke, it appears you haven't informed the boy of my mission?"

"What mission?" Ichigo was starting to feel left out of the loop.

Urahara flapped the fan even more energetically. "I figured you'd rather tell him yourself, Kuchiki Taichou." He didn't mean it of course. Everyone knew Kuchiki Byakuya was a man of few words. The Prince of Silence, as the Shinigami Women's Association had named him.

The blue-blooded man spoke up again, in his deep expressionless voice. "Kurosaki Ichigo, I am here on the orders of the Gotei 13 to watch over Karakura town in the aftermath of the massive disorder it went through during the war, and also to monitor the condtion of the person Soul Society is in debt to, that is you."

"They sent a _captain_?" Ichigo wondered out loud. Weren't captains supposed to be more important than that?

"The superiors seemed to think the situation was grave enough to be handled only by someone of captain level. Moreover, they need reports that are as comprehensive as possible. Given the disorder the town suffered in being shifted to Soul Society and back, it is vulnerable to hollow attacks several hundred times more than usual."

"But why _you_?" Ichigo's trademark scowl was on in full power. He couldn't stand Byakuya. The feeling was mutual, of course.

"Because I was deemed the most capable. Now I have no further time to waste answering your childish questions." Byakuya shifted his slate gray eyes to Urahara, coldness pouring out of them. "Have you prepared my gigai?"

"Of course, my staff will get it for you right away. The gigai of the highest possible quality – and price – just as is worthy of someone of your position," replied the shady shopkeeper as he signaled to Ururu and Jinta.

"Wait a minute – he's going to be here in a gigai? How long is this mission of yours?" Ichigo interrupted.

"Several months if things go well," came the noble's reply.

"MONTHS?"

This time Urahara was the one to interrupt "Oh and Kurosaki san, you will be providing lodgings to our esteemed guest here. No, don't protest – Soul Society has _requested _this of you as Kuchiki taichou is here to monitor your condition as closely as possible."

"I am NOT going to have some stuck up aristocrat who thinks he's better than everyone else and has a stick up his ass _monitoring _me _closely._"

"Kurosaki Ichigo," Byakuya's voice was cold and murderous now. "There is no choice in this matter. These are orders from the Soutaichou himself. I assure you, if it was a matter of choices I would have outright refused the prospect of spending any time at all in your vicinity."

Ichigo knew that tone. There really was no way out of this. He'd have to put up with having Byakuya in his house. He wanted to break something. Preferably by throwing it at Byakuya. _That icy bastard,_he thought.

"Kuchiki taichou, here is your gigai. And also the luggage that your subordinates dropped by previously." Urahara's voice broke through Ichigo's mental cursing at Byakuya and Soul Society, as Ururu and Jinta returned with a gigai that looked like the noble and a sizeable expensive looking travel bag.

Ichigo suddenly did a double take when he noticed the gigai more closely – _Hahahahaha, WHAT was Urahara thinking? Did he do this intentionally?_

Kuchiki Taichou had not taken notice yet, it seemed, for he was already in the process of entering the faux body for the purpose of his mission. Like all his actions, he proceeded with smoothness.

Ichigo suddenly found himself slightly breathless when the gigai came to life with Byakuya's soul form inside it. The eyes opened into the cold gray glint, and the head straightened up gracefully. Ichigo realized how young Byakuya looked without the captain's uniform and his aristocratic accessories. Without the kenseikan, Byakuya's silky black hair fell loosely upto his shoulders, with some of the long bangs falling over his face.

"Is the gigai satisfactory, Kuchiki taichou?" Urahara sounded rather devious. Ichigo knew why.

Byakuya was about to answer in a short affirmative, but then it hit him. The clothes on the gigai were preposterous! "What in the three worlds…."

As the noble's eyes widened noticeably with the shock of realization, Ichigo burst into hysterical laughter. It was too much really, seeing Byakuya dressed like this.

The tee-shirt was skin tight and orange. Very bright orange. The v-shaped neckline came way down into the chest revealing Byakuya's pale skin considerably. If that wasn't bad enough, there were the pants.

Byakuya's reiatsu flared obviously when he noticed the pants he was wearing on his gigai. What was this horrible shiny material? _Leather_? Byakuya was familiar with the most expensive leather goods in Soul Society. This cheap looking material could hardly be described as leather. The material was the least of the problems though. The fit of the pants was the biggest problem. Was it even possible to squeeze into, or out of, something so _tight_? Byakuya felt almost embarrassed at the relentless way the article of clothing was hugging his figure. To make it worse the pants hung low on his hips, dangerously so. Why did his clothing have to be so tacky, so cheap, so…revealing? How dare the shopkeeper disrespect him this way? He was Kuchiki Byakuya, the twenty-eighth head of the Kuchiki clan. He did not dress in so inappropriate a manner.

"Urahara Kisuke," Byakuya's voice sounded like he was about to release his bankai,

"How _dare_you put such disgusting clothes on my gigai?"

"Oh my. And here I went through the trouble of getting the trendiest, sexiest clothes for you, Kuchiki-san." Urahara was probably laughing madly behind his fan.

Ichigo was laughing madly in plain sight.

Byakuya almost felt his eye twitch like it did when he lost his temper in his childhood.

"Urahara Kisuke, I refuse to wear these. They are cheap and ill fitted. And disturbing to look at. Orange is the worst possible colour I can think of."

"Hey!" Ichigo snapped at him. He was met with another gray glare.

"Urahara Kisuke, bring me a change of clothes." Byakuya's voice dripped with icy rage.

"I'm sorry Kuchiki Taichou, but these are the ones that came with your gigai. If you need more clothes you'll have to buy them yourself. Kurosaki san, I'll leave you to take him home. And you boys be nice to each other." With a snap of his fan and a chuckle, Urahara turned and entered the shop.

Ichigo was still laughing, and Byakuya stood in front of him arresting his rage and composing himself.

Despite their differences, and despite the absurdity of the situation, Ichigo had to admit to himself that Byakuya pulled off the horrible clothing with grace and sophistication that would have impossible for anyone else in the same outfit. It seemed there was something intrinsically elegant about this man. He also took notice of how fit and toned Byakuya's lean body was, the proportions perfect like the rest of his appearance. Ichigo did not like his thoughts going in this direction. Let alone any positive direction, as far as Byakuya was concerned.

With a look of exasperation at the laughing teen, Byakuya turned on his heel and faced in the direction towards the street, with his posh travel bag in hand.

"Kurosaki Ichigo," he said calmly for a man who was boiling with rage inside, "You will take me shopping."

"What? I couldn't be bothered, Byakuya." Ichigo wondered who this guy thought he was. _Oh wait_, he knew exactly who Byakuya thought he was, and would be glad if he was spared the lecture.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, I refuse to be in this outrageous outfit and I also cannot go on with one set of clothes. I am not familiar with this town. You will take me to the elite stores here, now."

_That was probably as close to saying "Please" as Byakuya could get_, thought Ichigo.

Perhaps out of pity for the noble – yes, that's what Ichigo was sure it was, pity – he decided to agree. Why else would he take a prissy ice prince shopping?

"Alright fine," he said. "But Byakuya…"

"What?"

"I know you like talking to people with your back to them, but that may not be a good idea in this outfit unless you _want_them to check out your ass."

Ichigo felt a flickering rise of reiatsu before Byakuya gave him a condescending and somewhat appalled look over his shoulder, and started walking onto the street.

Bursting into laughter again, Ichigo followed.

_Maybe this will be somewhat fun after all_, he thought.

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><p><strong>Next chapter: Streets, Shops and Residences.<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Streets, Shops and Residences.**

_Well, this is going to be weird, _thought Ichigo as he walked next to Byakuya. It was always weird when Shinigami stayed over at Karakura town in gigai. Between Rukia, Renji, Ikkaku, Yumichika, Rangiku and Toushiro – Ichigo thought he had faced the worst already. He could see now though, that he was mistaken. Kuchiki Byakuya, the captain of the sixth squad, the twenty-eighth head of the Kuchiki clan, Rukia's cold emotionless brother with a huge ego and the most arrogant attitude known to man and Shinigami, was going to live in his house and "monitor him closely". At least the others had been friendly and at a lot of times rather fun to be around. Ichigo was not looking forward to Byakuya's stiff silence, which when broken usually involved haughty remarks about how he looked down upon everyone else.

This was not Rukia. Byakuya would not fit in his closet. He would be in his bedroom. Ichigo was already feeling infuriated about what he'd have to deal with. For months? Put up with that attitude for months?

He glanced sideways. Despite his ridiculous clothes and internal rage, Kuchiki Byakuya was walking with look of serenity on his expressionless face, grace and sophistication in each smooth step. _His royal pretty highness_, Ichigo scoffed in his mind. He wondered how Byakuya would survive here for months. He had lived for centuries in his sprawling manor, and Ichigo could picture that he was used to being surrounded by maids and butlers doing everything for him. _I can't believe I'm stuck with this spoilt noble._

"Byakuya, what kind of clothes are you going to buy?" Of course, the silence was broken by Ichigo.

"I am not aware of the fashion in the world of the living. I've told you already have I not? Take me to the elite stores here." Byakuya didn't even bother looking up as he replied.

"Look Byakuya, I know you're the upper crust or whatever in Soul Society and you have more money than your bankai has _petals_. But this is the world of the living, and the kind of stores you're asking about are insanely overpriced and…"

"Kurosaki Ichigo, do you take me to be a fool? I have of course made the necessary arrangements to access my assets in Soul Society for use during my stay here." Byakuya interrupted.

Ichigo was about to roll his eyes and make a dry remark but he suddenly noticed that something was strange about the street they were walking on. The people around were dressed in outfits more revealing than Byakuya's (Ichigo laughed in his head at this comparison), the women were wearing garish makeup and everyone was eyeing them with weird looks in their eyes. Realization was about to dawn on him, when a woman who looked to be in her late thirties but was dressed like a desperate teenager stepped in front of them and said, "Oh my, I haven't seen such pretty creatures around here for ages. Are you boys new here?"

Byakuya raised his eyebrows at Ichigo. The orange haired boy was rather taken aback and said "Sorry, ma'm I don't know what you're talking about…"

The woman let out a harsh rasping laughter and said, "Playing innocent are we? How _cute. _Are you two a combined package – because I'm more interested in your gorgeous friend here." Turning to Byakuya she asked, "How much for a whole night?"

"WHAT?" Ichigo exclaimed, turning bright red now.

Byakuya was also taken aback, his eyes first widened and then he narrowed them into a deadly glare. "How dare you think that I'm here to sell my body?" His voice was low and deep, but still dripping with malice.

"Oh," the woman replied, "That's not why you're here? You could make a lot of money you know, if you _sold_ a body so beautiful. Then I suppose you punks are here to _buy_?"

_Surely this is the first time Byakuya has been called a punk_, Ichigo thought somewhere behind all his shock.

"I do not need to sell myself, I have more than enough wealth already. And I certainly do not need to buy such _products_. Unlike you I can get that without paying for it." Byakuya replied, still sounding murderous. Ichigo's jaw dropped hearing him say that. "Remove yourself from our way."

The woman was livid with anger now. But Byakuya's glare had obviously scared her. She turned on her heels and walked off muttering "Stupid rich spoilt punks…"

After she was gone, the glare was directed at Ichigo. "Kurosaki Ichigo, what is the meaning of this? Would this be your idea of a sick joke?"

"Byakuya, shut up! I did not land on this street intentionally. I was trying to take a short cut and somehow ended up…in the…red light area of town." Ichigo's voice trailed off in embarrassment. As Byakuya continued to glare at him, he added "Look this is all YOUR fault, I never shop in the high-end stores so I'm not used to getting there. I must have taken a wrong turn. Now let's get out of here before anything weirder happens!"

After finding the right way and another five minutes of walking, during which Byakuya's behaviour seemed to Ichigo to be some form of silent expressionless sulking, they reached the fashion store Ichigo had decided to take Byakuya to. The words expensive and snobbish were exuding out of the extremely classy looking store. Byakuya still did not look entirely convinced. Ichigo was thinking about how shopping here would require more money than his family's expenses for six months. Their thoughts were interrupted by some hushed but obviously audible voices saying, "What do those punks think they're doing in a place like this? Do these kids think they can afford anything here?"

Byakuya had been called a punk too many times for his liking today. His patience was running dangerously short now. He turned to the store attendants who had been talking about them and said, "You people are supposed to be keeping a store for the elite running with that sort of flawed judgement? I'm surprised that your business has not failed yet. You have no idea who you are talking about here. Start behaving and bring me the best clothes you have."

_Oh my God, _thought Ichigo. Weren't Shinigami supposed to minimize drawing attention while on mission in the world of the living? He had a feeling the store attendants would be skeptical about Byakuya acting like royalty. _This is not Soul Society!_

"Please forgive the rudeness of my colleagues," a thin man wearing a badge that said 'Manager' approached Byakuya. "If we could have your name, please, sir?"

"Kuchiki Byakuya."

"Kuchiki Byakuya-sama," the manager said respectfully, "What kind of clothes are you looking for? Casuals or formals."

"Well I personally favour formals but I do not know the trends in this place," Byakuya replied and then turned to Ichigo. "Kurosaki Ichigo, what would be more appropriate given the work I am here for?"

If the Shinigami was going to be "monitoring him closely" and staying in his house, Ichigo figured it would be ridiculous if he was always dressed in a suit. "I think you'll need more casuals than formals, Byakuya."

Byakuya promptly asked the store attendants to bring him four sets of formal wear, six sets of casual wear, with shoes and accessories to go with them.

Ichigo stood gaping as store attendants started treating Byakuya like an aristocrat. It seems they saw the substance behind his attitude. _Or money._

Despite being new to this environment Byakuya seemed to have a good knack for chosing clothes that were classy without looking extravagant. Ichigo felt annoyed at how _good _the noble looked in every outfit he was trying on, as the people at the store fussed around him getting him the right sizes and coordinating the clothes and accessories. For the amount of shopping, it was over quite quickly and settled with a swish of Byakuya's credit card as the attendants looked on fawningly.

_Credit card, eh?_That's something Ichigo had not seen any of the other Shinigami use.

As they walked out of the store with the shopping bags in hand, Byakuya seemed to be thinking something.  
>"Kurosaki Ichigo, there is one more thing that I'll be needing," he said.<p>

"What now?" Ichigo had already had quite enough of shopping with the captain.

"A school uniform."

"A WHAT?" Ichigo's mouth hung open even after he spoke.

"I do not like repeating myself."

It took Ichigo a while to recover his ability to speak. _Has Soul Society gone insane? _"Byakuya, that's ridiculous. Are you telling me you'll be going to my school?"

"Yes, those were part of my orders. I am to monitor you, after all." Byakuya replied with a hint of irritation in his voice.

"You'll look like an idiot." Ichigo was horrified at imagining Kuchiki Byakuya attending school with him. _How old was this guy? Five hundred? More? _

Byakuya was well aware of how strange it would be for him to show up at a human high school, but he did not take kindly to the way Ichigo was reacting. "If Renji, Vice Captain Matsumoto and those barbarians from the eleventh squad could pull off being high school students, I think I will actually do a good job of it."

Ichigo paused to consider this. And he realized, Byakuya was quite right. Between red hair and tattoos, feathery eye-lash extenstions, bald heads and …well, Rangiku san's flaunting of her shapely figure, the other Shinigami had been a freak show at school. Toushiro's white hair and lack of height had drawn unnecessary attention too. Compared to that, Byakuya was a lot closer to normal. In fact, even if he was not, he looked younger than the others had, especially in human clothing.

But still, there was the fact that Byakuya looked and acted like a prince.

"Maybe you're a lot less weird than those guys, but you'll still draw a lot of attention," said Ichigo. "And you look nothing like what a high school student should look like. You'll also have to do something about that attitude."

"I will be needing a uniform, Kurosaki Ichigo." Byakuya stated, making it clear that how he would fit into the high school demography was not up for any further discussion.

Cursing Byakuya in his mind, Ichigo reluctantly lead the noble to the shops that sold school uniforms. _Maybe I should buy a new set too_, he found himself thinking.

After reluctantly running another errand for Byakuya, Ichigo started heading home. He was not looking forward to having the stiff captain stay over. He was not looking forward to explaining this to his family either.

"Hey, Byakuya, we're almost at my place. Try not to intimidate my family. And I know you're used to living in some huge mansion with many servants and endless luxury – well let me just tell you this is going to be different. And…"

Ichigo was cut off in mid-sentence by Byakuya speaking up. "Kurosaki Ichigo, it appears you take me to be some spoilt rich _child _. Do not forget that I am in the elite military of Soul Society. I have not spent all my life in my manor, served by loyal servants. I've had to deal with less luxurious lodgings during training and such. I am not going to complain about the circumstances I have to deal with on a mission. This is my duty. Yes, I am accustomed to a life of luxury. But I am not incapable of surviving without it."

_Oh we'll see_, thought Ichigo, annoyed at the lengthy lecture. _Tch, he doesn't think it's justified to see him as spoilt and rich._

"We're here," Ichigo announced in a sulky voice.

Byakuya looked up to observe the Kurosaki residence, with an expression of disinterest. He had seen photographs of it from Soul Society intelligence. He wondered how it would be to live here for a few months. Ichigo lead him through the front door, and Byakuya was a little surprised when the orange haired boy suddenly spoke loudly "Tadaima1 . I brought a guest."

His face did not show it, but Byakuya felt a little awkward standing next to Ichigo at the hallway.

"Ichi-nii, you're late!"  
>"Okaeri2 Onii-chan! A guest? Is it a girl?"<p>

Byakuya looked at the two children who had just appeared from inside the house. _They must be his younger sisters_, he thought. The first one that had spoken had black hair and a scowl similar to her brother's. The second one had light brown hair, and was very _high-pitched_. Both were now looking at him with curiousity.

Ichigo found himself caught in the awkward silence between the twins, who were gaping at Byakuya, and the noble who had his blank expression on.

It was Karin who broke the silence, "Ichi-nii, is he a friend of yours? We haven't seen him before."

"Kurosaki Ichigo is not my friend." The girls were startled at Byakuya's cold, deep voice.

Ichigo cleared his throat and said, "Exactly, he's not a friend. He's my friend's brother. Remember Rukia – the midget who stayed over for a while?" This earned him a glare from Byakuya. "This is her older brother Kuchiki Byakuya. He's going to my school for a while and will be staying over." His voice trailed off as he found himself speaking the unpleasant truth of having Byakuya at his house for a few months.

"Byakuya, these are my sisters Yuzu and Karin. My father is away on a conference, so it's just us at home."

Much to Ichigo's surprise, Byakuya turned to the girls and said, "Thank you for having me over at your house, I hope I will not cause too much trouble."

Even more to Ichigo's surprise, by now the girls were looking at Byakuya with expressions that showed they were thoroughly impressed.

"No, not at all, Kuchiki-san. We're very glad to have you over," said Yuzu, "Oni-chan does not have friends like you, it's quite a pleasant surprise to see him in such good company." Ichigo could not believe what he was hearing.

"Yeah, in fact, your sister once told us that her onii-sama was a wonderful, kind, dashing, strong, intelligent guy that she considers her role model," added Karin.

Byakuya was warmed on the inside to hear that, but his expression remained unreadable.

Ichigo's expression was furious. "Yeah, whatever. Okay it's getting late, I'll be heading up to my room now. Goodnight," He said and motioned to Byakuya to follow him upstairs.

"Goodnight Kuchiki san!" The girls said in chorus.

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><p>Footnotes:<br>1. Tadaima is what the Japanese say when they return home  
>2. Okaeri is what the Japanese say to greet the person returning home.<p>

**Next Chapter: Pants  
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Let me know what you think of my story! I wonder who will be the first to review me!  
>(For the yaoi fangirls getting their hopes up – yes, the next chapter is something of a treat!)<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

**Warning: **If you don't like yaoi, this chapter may be little hard to deal with. But I still suggest you read it, it's that good.

If you like yaoi - well, I hope this makes your day.

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><p><strong>Chapter 3: Pants<strong>

"This is my room, Byakuya," said Ichigo as they walked into his bedroom, "You'll be staying here. I'll give you a futon to sleep in." He opened the closet (where Rukia had once stayed, which he was certainly not going to mention to Byakuya as the ice prince would probably misinterpret it) and started looking for the bedding he would offer his guest.

"Why am I not staying in the guest room?" Byakuya asked, puzzled.

"Because there is no guest room," Ichigo replied as he placed the futon on the floor in front of his bed, "There are only three rooms in our house. Dad's room is free but it would be weird if I let you stay there while he's away. So, as much as it annoys me, you're staying here."

There was a pause, after which Byakuya asked, with a dark tone in his voice, "If there is no guest room…where did my sister stay while she was here?"

_Oh no_, Ichigo found himself tensing in preparation for an attack from Senbonzakura. That did not happen though, but Byakuya was glaring daggers at him. "She stayed with my sisters in their room of course! Seriously Byakuya, what were you thinking?" _Well, it was partially true._

"I see." Byakuya was standing in the middle of the room now, observing. The space was small, almost constricting. In fact, the entire house was probably only slightly larger than his bedroom back in the Kuchiki manor. It was his well-bred control that kept him from sighing. Well, this was a mission and he was Kuchiki Byakuya. He'd follow his orders flawlessly, personal sacrifices were nothing. These were his thoughts as he took out the clothes for sleeping in from the shopping bags they had stashed in one corner of the room. "Kurosaki Ichigo, which way is the bathroom?"

"Just go down the hall outside, first door on the left," replied the teenager, "And Byakuya could you just call me Kurosaki or Ichigo, it's so weird when you keep calling me by my full name."

"I do not wish to reciprocate your lack of manners." Byakuya said coldly as he went off to change.

Ichigo was still cursing the arrogant noble in his mind while preparing to go to bed, when, after a considerable delay, Byakuya returned to the room dressed in only his ridiculous tight leather pants. _What the…what happened to wearing silk pajamas?_

"Byakuya! What the hell? Don't walk around shirtless like that, my sisters are in the house." Ichigo found himself blushing furiously, feeling embarrassed at being so uncomfortable.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, I have a problem."

"Yeah I know, your bad attitude." Ichigo replied somewhat angrily. The teenager was feeling flustered at what was making him so angry, because apparently it was Byakuya's perfect body. _Perfect, did I just call his body perfect? What's wrong with me? What am I thinking?_ In fact, perfect possibly fell short of describing the sight of lean, toned muscles of his arms, chest and abdomen, the elegant neck and collarbones, and flawlessly shaped shoulders around which silky strands of black hair hung freely. Ichigo felt a little out of breath, and gulped. _Jealous, yeah jealous – that's why it bothers me. It's unfair that someone can look so gorgeous. _And there were the leather pants _sticking _against Byakuya's lower half, causing as much torture to the observer as it was to the person wearing them.

"Do you have any sharp instruments that I could use?" Byakuya's strange question startled Ichigo out of the dazed state he was in.

"No, and even if I did I wouldn't give them to you," retorted Ichigo, "My previous experiences involving you and sharp objects were very unpleasant."

"Kurosaki Ichigo, as much as I would like to hurt you, my immediate concern is to get out of these pants, which has proved impossible," explained Byakuya with a trace of agitation in his deep voice, "I would not be surprised if Urahara Kisuke says he sewed them onto the gigai. I think I'll have to cut it off me."

After a few seconds of stunned silence, Ichigo burst into uncontrollable laughter. Byakuya stood, glaring. Anyone else in his position would look incredibly stupid, but he maintained an air of cool indifference. Well, as close as he could get to cool indifference in this state.

When Ichigo finally managed to stop laughing and start breathing, he said "Is that why you never got out of them even while trying out clothes while shopping? Anyway, it would be dangerous to attempt cutting them off, don't be stupid."

"This is not really my body, and it would serve Urahara Kisuke right to have to repair it." Byakuya's irritation was getting the better of his calm logic, it seemed.

"Well, he'll give you hell for it and charge an exorbitant price. That guy's a bastard," said Ichigo, and Byakuya had to agree with that statement. "Here, let me help."

Byakuya flinched as Ichigo's hands reached for his waist. "What?"

Kuchiki Byakuya did not like, and was not used to having his personal space invaded.

"I said I'll help you get out of that monstrosity, you ungrateful idiot."

"No," came the flat reply.

"Okay, then get out of the gigai and unleash Senbonzakura on your pants, Mr. High and Mighty."

"That would be going overboard, I do not wish to appear silly."

Ichigo rolled his eyes, "So you do realize you look stupid. Now stop being so stuck-up and let's get you out of those in the most normal way possible."

Byakuya could not believe he had agreed to this, but he needed to be freed of his cheap leather prison soon. So, they soon found themselves in an absurd position, where Byakuya was leaning back in the chair and Ichigo was helping him pull down the pants. It was proving difficult, and a good few minutes passed but their only progress was getting the pants down from his hips only to get stuck before it even reached his thighs.

Ichigo let out a frustrated sound and said, "You know, maybe you need to lose some weight."

Byakuya's calm façade was almost gone now, "I am sure that is not the problem here."

Ichigo pulled so hard that Byakuya almost slid out of the chair, but the pants stayed where they were. "If you can't help me, then get off."

"Shut up Byakuya!" Ichigo did not like being proved incapable of anything, especially not what should have been a simple task.

Byakuya did not like being yelled at by anyone, especially not by a human teenager. He was very angry now, and moved his hands from the pants to push Ichigo off him.

This was timed with Ichigo yanking at the pants again. They both lost balance, Ichigo fell back on the floor. Connected by Ichigo's iron grip on Byakuya's pants, and the Shinigami's hands on the boy's shoulders trying to push him off, they both tumbled to the floor, Byakuya on top of Ichigo.

It was an awkward moment, and the realization of it made them go very still.

Just then, Rukia and Renji stepped into the room through the window. And they found a shirtless Byakuya on his knees, straddling over a disheveled Ichigo lying on the floor with Byakuya's hands pinning his shoulders down and Ichigo's hands on the waist of Byakuya's pants which were pulled down to reveal his fitting boxers.

Rukia and Renji's faces were red and distorted in utter shock. Byakuya and Ichigo stared at their visitors in mortification of being seen in such a position. Stunned silence filled the room, and all four of them were frozen in place.

The stillness was broken when Byakuya realized he was half undressed in front of his little sister. "Rukia, wait outside until I am dressed," he found himself saying without looking at anyone directly.

Rukia was stirred out of her shock by that. "Sorry Nii-sama! I'll be waiting outside," she said and flash-stepped away.

Still numb from sheer embarrassment, Byakuya and Ichigo got to their feet. A few strange sounds came from Renji's mouth, who was trying to find words to speak.

"Kuchiki Taichou," he finally managed, "What? I mean …well, er…" Renji ran out of words again. He stood gaping.

"Close your mouth Renji, and stand straight," snapped Byakuya. "It's obviously not what it looks like." He then sat back down on the chair with grace and sophistication which would not have been possible for anyone else caught half naked straddling a teenage boy.

"Yeah, Urahara san put impossibly tight pants on Byakuya's gigai, we were trying in vain to get them off," explained Ichigo who was blushing a little less now, although his heart was pounding in his chest. _That happens from embarrassment, right?_

Renji's expression changed to one of realization. "Oh, that seems like something that bastard is capable of. Kuchiki Taichou, maybe you should cut the pants off?"

"Are you Shinigami obsessed with using sharp objects on people?" exclaimed Ichigo, "Renji you know very well what Urahara puts people through for gigais. Now help me out with this."

So, with the three of them applying their combined force, the pants finally gave in to defeat, with a loud rip. Byakuya felt elated to hear that – the orange tee-shirt had already suffered a similar fate back when he was trying out new clothes while shopping, and he had left the shop dressed in a more decent shirt.

"Finally!" Ichigo sighed, exhausted. _Great, even his legs are perfect. _He found himself staring at Byakuya who was now only in his boxers. And his eyes were straying from the legs. It seemed the temperature in the room had gone up. Ichigo was flushed again. He felt both disappointed (_Where did that come from?_) and relieved when Byakuya dressed in his dark blue pajamas.

"Renji, go explain to Rukia and bring her here," Byakuya was back to being calm and cold.

"What? I'm not explaining this to her!" Renji replied without thinking.

Byakuya's grey eyes narrowed as they glared at Renji dangerously. "Are you questioning whether you have to do as I say?"

Renji gulped, and then composed himself and went back to business mode. "Please accept my apology Kuchiki Taichou. My behaviour was out of line. I will bring Rukia here immediately."

Rukia, when she returned, was still rather red. "Nii-sama, forgive us for making you uncomfortable," she said, bowing to her brother respectfully. "Renji explained what happened."

"Why are you two here?"

"It seems Squad Twelve had left out an important part of your communication devices when they gave you the equipment, sir," replied Renji, "Ukitake Taichou ordered us to bring it to you when he heard about it." He then pulled out a small device with buttons and a little screen, and handed it to Byakuya. "We shall be taking our leave then, Taichou. All the best for your mission. If you need any help, call me!"

Before they left, Rukia turned to her brother. "Nii-sama, it must be difficult for you to adjust to the environment here. Is there anything you need? Are the lodgings alright for you?"

"Rukia, we have already discussed this when Ukitake taichou suggested I bring a servant along to my mission. If you recall, I am not pleased at the idea that I am incapable of getting through this mission because it is uncomfortable. Yes, the lodgings are somewhat constricting but it is nothing I cannot handle. Do not treat me like a child. Now, return to Soul Society without unnecessary delay."

_Constricting, is it?_ Ichigo was starting to feel annoyed at Byakuya again. The way he talks was just intolerable. It seemed Rukia was very used to being talked to in that tone, she had just taken his harsh words silently with her head bowed. "Yes Nii-sama," she said quietly and turned to Ichigo. Then her voice became tyrannical and loud "Ichigo, I expect you to treat my brother well. Make sure he has everything he needs. And don't disrespect him. If I find out that you were rude or inconsiderate, I will skin you alive and then kill you."

"Whatever," mumbled Ichigo, displeased at being threatened by the midget in front of her arrogant brother. "Go home."

After Rukia and Renji left, Byakuya proceeded to bring out his communication equipment from his travel bag. Ichigo observed the sleek looking laptop and touchscreen cellphone (well, what looked like a laptop and cellphone, but were actually strange gadgets from Soul Society) wondering why Byakuya's gadgets looked so much better than the ones he had seen other Shinigami use. "Byakuya, it's late and _we _have school tomorrow. Do you have to do that now?"

"I need to set up communication and tune the signals as soon as possible. Going to school is a secondary part of the mission. Be quiet while I'm working. Why don't you just go to sleep?" came the icy reply.

Yet, even after Byakuya was done setting up his equipment and establishing his links to Soul Society, and the two were lying in their respective beds, sleep was nowhere to be seen.

From his bed, Ichigo looked down at Byakuya who was lying in the futon staring at the ceiling. "Why aren't you sleeping?"

"It takes time to adjust to new sleeping quarters. And I have never shared sleeping quarters with anyone."

"I thought you had to stay outside your manor for training and missions?"

"I was always given a room to myself, due to my status and position."

"Of course you were."

"Why aren't _you_ sleeping?"

"…" Ichigo suspected that thoughts of the incidents involving Byakuya's pants were keeping him awake. _Byakuya smelled really good_, and that was stuck in his mind since his _close_ encounter with the noble. But he convinced himself that he was just irked at having the stuck up captain invading his life. "I'm not comfortable sleeping in the same room with someone cold-blooded and dangerous."

"Oh, you are scared of me?" Byakuya's tone was taunting.

"Scared of you? A guy who can't even get his pants off on his own?"

"Go to sleep."

"Fine."

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><p><strong>Next Chapter: Byakuya goes to school<strong>

A/N: I'm so happy to get my first ever reviews! Thank you!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: This chapter turned out longer than I had intended (I was actually trying to keep all the chapters a similar length). I hope that does not keep the readers from enjoying it! I got a little carried away with how cute Byakuya and Ichigo are together.**  
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><p><strong>Chapter 4: Byakuya goes to school<strong>

"Onii-chan, it's time to wake up!" Yuzu called from outside Ichigo's bedroom. Although it woke him, Ichigo did not open his eyes, he wanted to sleep a little more. He recalled having some terrible nightmares the night before, where Byakuya had arrived on a mission to the world of the living, and was staying with him. To make it worse, the dreams had gone off in a direction he could only blame his teenage hormones for, and he was now pushing those images out of his head because Byakuya was in them.

He could feel the sunlight flowing in through the window, and was grateful that in real life he would not have to deal with Kuchiki Byakuya's coldness. The hormone-driven dreams were not bad at all, but the nightmares involving staying with the stoic captain were rather unpleasant. Yes, it was time to wake up, and go back to life as normal.

He opened his eyes and was about to get off the bed, but found himself jumping back in shock and disbelief. Kuchiki Byakuya was sitting in his chair, dressed in a Karakura High School uniform.

"You are late, Kurosaki Ichigo," he said in his deep voice.

_Oh no, so it wasn't a nightmare…The only parts I dreamt were the embarrassing ones. _Now fully awake, Ichigo remembered the day before.

"Hmph, good morning to you too. And I'm not late. Why are you already dressed for school, how long have you been up?" Ichigo was feeling way too annoyed for this early in the morning.

"I am an early riser."

Ichigo got out of bed, still disconcerted by Byakuya's appearance. _Freaky_, he thought, _he looks like someone made a supermodel dress up in a high school uniform for a photo shoot for some women's magazine. Nothing like a high school student, but bizarrely attractive._

Ichigo was surely not fully awake yet, for he had thought of Kuchiki Byakuya as attractive. He shook his head to clear it, and was going off to prepare for school, when the Shinigami spoke. "Kurosaki Ichigo, which of these books will I have to take to school?"

Ichigo couldn't hold back his chuckle when he saw Byakuya's schoolbooks, which had Chappy name stickers reading "Kuchiki Rukia" on them. He picked out the books for the classes they had today before leaving the room. "Go on downstairs for breakfast, Byakuya. I'll join you in a while."

The twins greeted Byakuya warmly at the breakfast table. "Kuchiki-san, I hope you like what I made for breakfast this morning," chirped Yuzu.

"_You_made the breakfast?" Byakuya sounded a little doubtful. He wondered why the Kurosaki family was making their children cook for them.

"Yes. Does your sister make breakfast for you at home?"

Byakuya did not even know if Rukia was capable of making breakfast. "No, the chef and his assistants prepare our meals."

_Chef_ _and his assistants_. The twins had figured from Byakuya's appearance and demeanor that he was probably rich, and their impression was just being strengthened.

"It sounds like you're used to a very different lifestyle, Kuchiki-san," said Karin, "We hope you're not having trouble feeling at home here?"

Byakuya remained silent. The girls started to feel a bit worried.

"Karin-chan, I think we should try to make things more comfortable for Kuchiki-san," Yuzu said thoughtfully.

"You're right Yuzu."

And so, when Ichigo came downstairs dressed for school, he found his sisters addressing Byakuya as "Byakuya-sama".

"Since when do you two call him that?" He asked, eyebrows raised.

"Well, we were asking Byakuya-sama about his home, and he says that's what people call him there," Karin started explaining.

"And we're trying to make Byakuya-sama feel more at home," Yuzu finished for her.

Ichigo had heard enough "Byakuya-sama" for the morning. He sat down at the breakfast table in a bitter mood. _Byakuya-sama_appeared completely unmoved by the twin's efforts for his comfort. He was eating silently, with table manners and poise worthy of his noble upbringing. It annoyed Ichigo even more.

After a while, the Kurosakis noticed that Byakuya was looking at the poster of their mother that their father had put up on the wall. "That's our late mother," explained Karin.

"She passed away when we were very little," said Yuzu.

"It's not something someone like you would understand, Byakuya," Ichigo said roughly, feeling suddenly defensive in front of the cold Shinigami. "Not like you were planning to, but don't say anything."

Byakuya acted like Ichigo was invisible, but for a moment the teenager thought he caught a different expression in the Shinigami's eyes. Ichigo was sure he had imagined it.

"My mother also passed away when I was a child," Byakuya said after a few seconds of silence.

The girls glared harshly at Ichigo.

"But we are lucky to have our Dad, he always tries his best so that we don't feel our Mom's absence," Yuzu spoke up, trying to make things less awkward.

"I see. My father also passed away when I was a child. I was raised by my grandfather," Byakuya said in his monotone, and went back to eating his meal with his perfect etiquette.

His sisters' voices saying how they were sorry to hear that, and the silence that followed, seemed distant to Ichigo as he felt a strange wriggle in his stomach. Byakuya's parents had died when he was young, and since he was the head of the clan now, with Rukia as his only immediate family, that meant his grandfather had passed away too. Ichigo remembered Byakuya talking about his wife Hisana's death as he lay gravely injured on Sokyoku Hill in the aftermath of Aizen's departure from Seretei. Ichigo started to wonder if it was only his position in society which made Byakuya close himself up into that cold façade, or if losing so many people he was close to had something to do with it.

When they were done with the meal, Byakuya stated expressionlessly, "Kurosaki Yuzu, you prepared a very good meal".

"Byakuya-sama, you are just being polite, it wasn't that good," Yuzu said, blushing.

_Blushing, great_, thought Ichigo. "Yuzu," he said, "Byakuya is not the kind of person to praise something if he does not consider it truly worthy of praise."

Byakuya felt a bit surprised that Kurosaki Ichigo had made such a correct statement about him.

It was time to head to school now, and the two Karakura High School _students_, were putting on their school shoes in the hallway, when Ichigo overheard his sisters talking.

"Wow, he is so classy," said Karin, sounding uncharacteristically impressed.

"And the way he said my name…," giggled Yuzu, "I've never heard my name being pronounced in such a sophisticated way."

"He is way out of Ichi-nii's league. Ichi-nii could never be friends with someone so cool."

"And so handsome too."

The girls were interrupted by a loud slam of the door, for which their brother was responsible on his way out.

Unfortunately for Ichigo, it was not much easier as they walked down the streets. People were staring strangely at Byakuya. Especially the females, ranging from middle-school girls to middle-aged ladies. Ichigo could almost predict that some of them would walk into light-posts if they didn't pay more attention to where they were going, and less attention to checking out Byakuya.

_If he keeps drawing attention this way, the noble is going to be royal pain in my behind at school, _Ichigo thought as he glanced sideways at Byakuya, who was walking serenely in firm unrushed steps with his posture absolutely straight. His pale skin made him look even more ethereal in the gentle morning sunlight, and his expression was one of disinterest, bordering on a frown. The morning breeze gently blew against the long bangs that fell over his face. Ichigo was sure that never in the history of Karakura High School had there been a student with hair so long, luxurious, silky and perfectly styled. _Well, at least not a male student_. The last thought amused him, as much as the fact that not one strand of Byakuya's hair was out place annoyed him.

_This guy cannot ever look human. Not even in the most normal human clothes. Not even if he dies and gets reborn as a human. _Ichigo had no idea why the thought of Byakuya dying filled him with a pang of great sadness. They had both once wanted to kill each other, so he did not understand why he felt this way.

"So this is your school?" Byakuya's voice brought him back from his thoughts. Despite being _distracted_, Ichigo's feet had easily taken the familiar path to school.

"Yeah." Ichigo sounded gloomy. He told himself it was because of the awkward time he was in for at school today.

"I am supposed to report to the admission office. Which way is it?" Byakuya asked as he observed the school buildings.

Ichigo gave Byakuya the directions, relieved that he would not have to walk into his class with him. Already, the few students they had passed on the way were giving curious glances and speaking in hushed voices. He was glad he had not run into any of his friends yet.

Chad, Tatsuki, Inoue and Keigo greeted him as he entered the classroom. They asked him if something was bothering him, but he said he was fine. He sat down at his seat by the window, keeping his scowl on and not really participating in the morning chatter filling the classroom as they all waited for the teacher. _I wonder what's taking Byakuya so long_, he thought after a while. _Whatever, I hope he gets lost.  
><em>

Ichigo was still staring out the window absent-mindedly when the teacher walked in and everyone took their places. The teacher cleared her throat and said, "Good morning, class. Before we get started, I have an announcement to make. Starting today, we have a new student in this class, who is attending Karakura High School on an exchange programme with a school abroad." Ichigo had been wondering what absurd settings the Soul Society had cooked up this time to fit a Shinigami into a human high school. The teacher turned to the door and said, "Please come in, and introduce yourself to the class."

Byakuya entered the classroom, his fitted uniform impeccable and his perfect hair framing his composed face. The class fell into pin-drop silence, except the gasps of recognition from Inoue, Ishida and Chad. Class and power dripped from him as he just stood there, next to the teacher's table, in silence. Complete silence.

The teacher cleared her throat again, and said "New students are expected to introduce themselves to the class, Kuchiki. Please write your name on the board and say a few words about yourself."

Byakuya's eyebrows drew together in a slight frown, but he obliged. He wrote on the board in the most beautiful handwriting the class had ever seen, and with complete lack of expression, he said "My name is Kuchiki Byakuya. I will be starting classes with you in Karakura High School today on an exchange programme with my school." Ichigo rolled his eyes at the short introduction (_so typical of Byakuya_) and looked around to see all his classmates gaping at the source of his irritation, in a mixture of awe and confusion – and in most of the girls, unabashed _drooling.  
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It was Keigo who was the first to speak, though his voice struggled to come out under Byakuya's stifling presence, "Excuse me, but your name is Kuchiki – are you related to Kuchiki Rukia san who was in our class?"

Without bothering to look in Keigo's direction, Byakuya replied, "Yes, she is my younger sister."

The teacher spoke up again, "The exchange programme involves the Kuchiki siblings, actually. Kuchiki Rukia will be attending her brother's school for a few months and vice versa."

_Of all the harebrained fake explanations_, thought Ichigo.

"But if you're the older brother, why are you in the same class? You do look a bit older than us too," Keigo asked. Some of the other students gave him meaningful looks saying he was being rude, but Ichigo could almost hug him in joy. He wanted to see Byakuya work his way out of this one, and was also amused as he pictured "FAIL" written across the noble's face.

"When we were younger I had Rukia transferred to the same class as myself so that I could keep an eye on her. It was difficult at first but she was bright enough to manage. As for looking older, I do not know what you are talking about. Everyone my age looks this way where I come from." explained Byakuya, his tone and expression unflinching.

A few murmurs rose from the class at the first half of what he had just said. "…_Had_her transferred?" and "Just like that?" and "Is that even possible?"

Ichigo finally spoke up. "Byakuya is really rich and powerful back where he comes from, so he can do things like that."

The noble's eyes looked in his direction, with the trademark glare back on. The rest of the class turned to him too, questioningly.

"Oh, Kurosaki, are you friends with Kuchiki? That's nice, he can help you make new friends here – isn't that nice, Kuchiki?" The teacher was speaking a bit fast now, trying to rid the classroom of the unease from the conversations so far, and the coldness Byakuya had brought in with him.

"Kurosaki Ichigo is not my friend."

There was silence again. "Well, at least you two know each other. It's always good to know people when you are new to a place. Why don't you take a seat – the one in front of Kurosaki's is free, your sister used to sit there."

And so, class finally got underway. But things were far from normal. The students were staring at Byakuya, talking about him in whispered voices, and cowering when his grey glare fell on them. The girls were ogling, giggling and blushing. To Ichigo's surprise, even the teacher did not try hiding the fact that she found Byakuya gorgeous. He would never have believed she was actually capable of blushing!

Trying to block out the rest of the class was not working either. When he tried to do that, Ichigo found himself looking at Byakuya's back as the Shingami sat in front of him, straight and poised. And he smelled so good. A subtle, deep fragrance that was messing with Ichigo's brain with every breath he took. Surely, it was not good for his health to be in such close quarters with Byakuya. He realized he had completely lost track of what was being taught in the class. _Completely that idiot Byakuya's fault_, he thought.

When the teacher was looking away, he leaned forward in his chair and said to Byakuya in a near whisper, "Byakuya, if you sit so straight and stiff, your ass is going to hurt after a while." He had expected a glare in reply, but Byakuya completely ignored him. Ichigo felt a little disappointed.

In English class, the teacher was going to ask someone to read out the new chapter of the book they were on, and turned to the new student. "Why don't you read this out for us, Kuchiki?"

_Damn_, thought Ichigo, _I don't think they study English in Soul Society_, _this is going to be weird_. But before he could finish his chain of thought he found Byakuya's deep voice reading out the chapter in perfect pronunciation. With his breath caught and his eyes fixed on that silky black hair in front of him, Ichigo suddenly realized he was almost acting like the girls in his class who were practically swooning over the smooth sound of Byakuya's voice.

In the rest of the classes too, Ichigo was surprised to find that Byakuya could confidently answer questions when he was asked. "As expected, Kuchiki. Your records from your school said you were a top student there," said the teacher. Ichigo noted that he had a number of questions to ask Byakuya, like the strange details that had been provided while fabricating his identity as a "student".

Ichigo had expected the day to feel like the longest day of school, but he was surprised to find that, between hating Byakuya and being exasperated by people's reactions to him, time had passed extremely quickly and it was already lunchtime.

Class had been dismissed for the break, and Ichigo was walking out of the room, grateful to stretch out his legs, when he noticed Byakuya still sitting in his seat.

"Byakuya, aren't you hungry or something?" The noble did not even look up at him in reply. It struck him that they had spent the whole day together, but barely had any conversation. _I can't stand that stuck-up attitude_. "I'm going to get some lunch, you coming?"

As annoyed as they were by each other's presence, Byakuya and Ichigo went off to the cafeteria together.

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><p><strong>Next chapter: Juice box, Soul candy, and Maths<br>**

Reviews are addictive. The ones that I got make me want more!  
>A lot of thanks to my reviewers.<br>**  
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	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Juice box, Soul candy and Maths**

At the cafeteria, Ichigo and Byakuya bought a couple of sandwiches. Then Ichigo showed Byakuya how to use the vending machine, suggesting that he should buy a juice since he was probably thirsty from the whole day at school. Ichigo actually could not care less if Byakuya was thirsty, but he was curious to observe the Shinigami in the same predicament as his sister had once been in, trying to figure out how the juice box works.

"Look, that's the new guy everyone was talking about." Voices were buzzing around them in the cafeteria.

"I heard he's from abroad. Student exchange programme or something."

"He's stunning!" A female voice sighed, as others stated their agreement. "What perfect features!" "And gorgeous hair."

"He carries himself with such grace and class!"

"Such a fit body."

"So dreamy!"

"His complexion is so pale. Hasn't he been getting enough sun?"

"Who is he exactly? He doesn't look like he belongs here."

"Seems to have a bit of an attitude too."

"Does he know how to smile?"

"What in the world is he doing hanging out with that orange haired Kurosaki punk?"

Ichigo was feeling extremely uncomfortable now, under the scrutiny directed at the man next to him. _Schoolboy, not man. Utterly ridiculous._He felt like he was going to lose his patience soon. He glanced at Byakuya. The centre of the attention himself looked unperturbed, eyes nearly closed in indifference.

Kuchiki Byakuya, the frighteningly powerful Captain of the Sixth Squad, the young and handsome leader of the Kuchiki clan, a role model for all Shinigami, and the subject of obsession among the Shinigami Women's Association was accustomed to fame and therefore accustomed to people gawking and talking about him wherever he went. The humans here were making some very strange comments, but it was nothing more than irritating. He could ignore it, the way he always had ignored such attention. He could tell though, that Kurosaki was having a hard time dealing with this. It gave him a strange sense of satisfaction to see the boy irked, although he would like to get away from the restless buzzing noise.

"Byakuya, let's go eat our lunch on the roof. It's quieter and less crowded there."

Byakuya thought some quiet peace would be rather nice, so he walked up the staircase with the Kurosaki boy.

The orange haired boy had noticed by now that Byakuya chose to walk next to him and never behind him whenever he led him somewhere. _Must be some of his pride crap_, thought Ichigo. But in the otherwise deserted stairway to the roof, being next to Byakuya suddenly made him nervous and self-concious. The intoxicating smell, which Ichigo had first smelled while he went up against Byakuya in life-threatening fights, and then smelled again in new light as they struggled with the leather pants, which had been distracting him through the classes, now made his throat go dry and he was grateful when they reached the door to the roof at the end of the stairs.

_Does reiatsu have a smell? Or it's probably some expensive, exclusive cologne. I haven't smelled anything this good._Walking out onto the roof, Ichigo breathed in the fresh air deeply as if to clear his lungs of Byakuya's fragrance. He had never been able to stand Rukia's brother, and right now these strange reactions to being around the noble were making him hate the man even more.

_The juice box. It's my revenge_, thought Ichigo as they started eating their sandwiches. Soon, Keigo, Mizuiro, Chad and Ishida showed up since they also usually spent the lunch breaks on the roof. Chad and Ishida did not bother him with any questions, they could figure out that the captain was probably here on a mission and they would clear it up with Ichigo later in private. Keigo, Mizuiro and a few other students who were on the roof tried to engage in friendly conversation with Byakuya, who did not even look at them, let alone reply. When someone tried to suggest to the noble that he was acting rudely, he finally looked at them, but with such a glare that the person ran away. Soon, it was established among the others that the new Kuchiki boy was arrogant, inapproachable and rather scary. (Somehow they were still impressed with him.)

So, Ichigo found himself isolated with Byakuya as the others maintained their distance. He knew there was no need to keep the haughty Shinigami company, in fact he would have walked off to talk to his friends if Byakuya had not just finished his lunch and was reaching for the drink he had bought.

_Time to look and feel stupid, conceited clan leader and jackass extraordinaire_. _Time to beg the human boy for help. _Ichigo held back an evil chuckle as he recalled how Rukia had struggled to figure out how to drink from a juice box, and he pictured her brother suffering the same fate. He watched intently.

Byakuya looked at the juice box for a couple of seconds. Then he promptly took off the straw and poked it through the foil on top of the box, as though he had been drinking from juice boxes all his life.

"What the hell?" Ichigo found himself exclaiming, in shock and disappointment. Byakuya had just figured out the mystery of the juice box which had proved a great challenge to all the Shinigami who had been to the world of the living.

Byakuya serenely sipped his juice, and then looked up to ask "Is something the matter?"

"Err…no. Byakuya, do you have juice boxes like these in Soul Society?"

"No, this is the first time I've seen such an absurd contraption. Only humans would ever think of such strange containers for juice."

Ichigo sighed and leaned back against a wall. He guessed the only fun he was going to get out of Byakuya had already been over when the noble had been extracted from the revealing outfit Urahara had provided his gigai with. Of course, Ichigo had always known that although Rukia was smart, her brother was intelligent on an entirely different level. Most of their interactions had been on the battlefield, whether fighting each other or not, and Ichigo had long taken notice of how sharp Byakuya's mind was. He had probably been stupid to expect Kuchiki Byakuya to lose to a juice box.

Looking in the Shinigami's direction now proved to be a wrong move. Somehow the sight of Byakuya placidly sucking the straw made Ichigo blush and heat up in a way he could not explain. Feeling angry again, he stalked off to go talk to his friends.

The rest of the day at school went uneventfully, considering that the head of one of the Four Great Noble Families of Soul Society was sitting in front of him in class. By the last few classes Ichigo had managed to regain his concentration too and at the end of class he breathed a sigh of relief that the day had not been a complete disaster as he had expected.

Back home, Ichigo was wondering whether to change out of his uniform or get a snack first, when his thoughts were interrupted by Byakuya saying, "Kurosaki Ichigo, I wish to use your shower."

"Uh...yeah, of course. You know where it is," he replied. "The soap and shampoo and stuff are in there."

"That's alright, I brought mine." Ichigo realized Byakuya had taken out what resembled a shaving kit, along with a change of clothes, from his bags. _Surely, some expensive high-end stuff from Soul Society...wouldn't want to destroy his pretty hair and skin with products for humans, _he scoffed in his mind._  
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As he heard the water in the shower start running, Ichigo felt a sudden need to distance himself as much as possible, so he went downstairs and turned on the TV to quite a loud volume.

A while later, Byakuya appeared, bringing with him even more intoxicating fragrances and a view of damp black hair framing his face. Whether for those reasons or not, Ichigo decided to look away and pretend he wasn't there.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, I have a question."

"What now?"

"Who does the laundry in the human world?"

After a few seconds to recover from the strangeness of words used for that sentence, Ichigo replied "We do our own laundry. Come with me, I'll show you how to use the washing machine and you can get your laundry done."

He was heading in the direction of the washing machine, when he realized Byakuya hadn't moved from the spot. "What?"

"I do not do laundry." _I am Kuchiki Byakuya. Kuchiki Byakuya does not wash clothes_. Surely, the boy had not said what he heard him say.

This time, Ichigo could not help rolling his eyes. "Byakuya, this is not Soul Society and you're not going to be attended by the servants who keep your stupid scarf stain-free. I thought you said you can adjust to the way of life here just fine?"

_Servants. _Before he embarked on this preposterous mission, Ukitake Taichou had advised Byakuya to bring servants with him to the world of the living. Byakuya had dryly refused that idea saying it was wrong of people to assume he wouldn't be able to go on without servants tending to him. However, they had reached something of a compromise, and Byakuya remembered it now.

Ichigo watched a bit bewildered as Byakuya took out his Soul Candy dispenser (fortunately not a Chappy version like Rukia's) from his pocket. "What? Is there a hollow attack? I don't feel anything – my reiatsu must be acting up!"

"No, there is no hollow attack." Byakuya said before he shifted out of his gigai using one of the Soul Candies. It was always strange, seeing the Shinigami in their true form stand next to faux souls in their gigai. Byakuya stood in his shihakusho and haori, with the silk scarf and fingerless white gloves, and his hair in the kenseikan, in the middle of Ichigo's living room. Next to him his gigai suddenly wore a meek expression that would be an impossibility on Byakuya's face, and kneeled.

"Your orders, Byakuya-sama." The kneeling gigai with the Soul Candy inside said in a tone that sounded absurd coming from something that looked like Byakuya.

"Kurosaki Ichigo will show you how to use the washing machine, and you will do my laundry. After that arrange my belongings neatly. And when I am back, make me some tea."

Ichigo stood gaping and fuming. _Rich spoilt bastard, he brought along a Soul Candy that doubles as a servant. And all that talk about how he should not be considered incapable of surviving without luxuries!_

"Kurosaki Ichigo, since I am already in my soul form, I will now go and carry out my evaluation of the weak points in Karakura town which are vulnerable to attacks or destruction," Byakuya said as he took out what looked like a wide bracelet and clipped it around a confused Ichigo's wrist. "While I am not in your immediate vicinity you will wear this device which allows me to monitor your reiatsu levels and other parameters from remote locations."

With that, Byakuya was gone quickly. He seemed relieved to be out of the confines of a gigai. But Ichigo wished he had more time to throw a few insults to the captain before he left. Surely, if one of the "parameters" could measure how much Byakuya pissed him off, the device would have exploded right now.

It was creepy how Byakuya's Soul Candy started doing his chores diligently, so Ichigo left him to his work and decided he needed to forget this insanity Soul Society had thrown into his life and concentrate on important things such as the maths exam he had the next day. It was a make-up exam for one he had missed during the winter war, so Soul Society itself was the cause of that problem too!

It had been almost two hours when Byakuya returned (_and drank his tea_), and Ichigo was still sitting like a good boy at his table, poring over his books as he worked through maths problem after maths problem. He tried not to let his irritation get the better of him as Byakuya, back in his gigai, settled down not far from him, sitting on the bed and documenting his findings on Karakura Town in a report for Soul Society, his laptop placed on a free side of the table. They both worked quietly, grateful for the silence of the other.

A particularly pesky maths problem was causing Ichigo much frustration, and after crossing out yet another wrong attempt, he sighed loudly and decided to look up another book he had. In his rushed and exasperated attempt to extract the book from the middle of a stack, a couple of _special_ magazines he had been hiding in that stack (hiding in plain sight works best when you have little sisters and a nosy dad) fell out. Ichigo let out a swear word and hurriedly pushed the magazines out of sight. But Byakuya was already regarding him with eyebrows raised and an expression of belittlement.

"Cheap, low distractions. Among your textbooks too. I can now see why you struggle so much with simple maths."

"Shut up, Byakuya!" Ichigo was flushed red with embarrassment, and anger at the derisive tone Byakuya was using. _Has he never been a teenager? Surely every teenager owns one or two of these magazines. It's perfectly normal and nothing to judge me for! _"And I'm not struggling!"

"You have been on the same problem for the last twenty-five minutes and you're still failing at it."

"Damn it, aren't you supposed to be working?" Ichigo felt even more embarassed now, and he was hating Byakuya more than ever. _Well except back when he was trying to have his own sister killed. _"And trigonometry is not simple. As if you can do it much better!"

"I believe I can, even though it has been around a century since I went to school in Soul Society - but I was the best student in my class."

Ichigo rolled his eyes again. "Of course you were. Is there anything you think you're not the best at?" _Does he have to be good at everything? And think he's good at everything?_"Or does being a Kuchiki mean they have to call you the best whether you deserve it or not?"

_The nerve of the boy to make such an insolent comment! _"Kurosaki Ichigo, I was also the valedictorian at university, and none of it was earned through bias for my status but by own aptitude and hard work."

Ichigo felt a bit victorious about making Byakuya angry. "There's a university in Soul Society? I didn't know that. So you were a _nerd_?" Ichigo chuckled at that image.

"There is. And as the heir to the Kuchiki clan I was expected to have the finest education available and excel at it."

"Well let's see if there's any substance behind your big talk, Byakuya." Ichigo smirked and pushed his notebook with the trigonometry problem towards the arrogant noble.

"I will give you credit for refreshing my memory with your failed attempts," Byakuya said as he took the pen.

Ichigo watched, surprised, as Byakuya's hand moved smoothly over the notebook as he proceeded to solve the problem with only the slightest expression of concentration on his face. Before he knew it, the correct solution was on the paper, in a neater handwriting than Ichigo had ever seen any maths solution in.

Byakuya simply returned to his work on the laptop expressionlessly, and Ichigo sat in silence for a while in reaction to what had just happened. He did not want to admit it, but he was impressed. He would just annoy the aristocrat some more to hide that.

"Hey Byakuya, so you really are good at this stuff. Maybe you should tutor me while you're here?" There was more than a hint of mockery in his voice.

"Do not make this miserable mission sound any more pathetic than it already is, Kurosaki Ichigo." Byakuya replied with a tinge of bitterness in his deep monotone.

Nevertheless, when Ichigo encountered some more tricky problems in his preparation for the make-up exam, he found himself asking Byakuya for help, and Byakuya found himself helping.

* * *

><p><strong>Next chapter: Pets, Preferences and Rain<br>**

**(**The next one may please yaoi fangirls.)


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **The chapter title is different from the one I announced in the previous chapter.

Instead of "Pets, Preferences and Rain", we are going to have  
>"Pets, Preferences and a Confession in between" now<br>and "Rain" in the next chapter.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 6: Pets, Preferences and a Confession in between.<strong>

It had been a few days since Captain of the Sixth Squad of the Gotei 13, Kuchiki Byakuya had been on a mission to Karakura town and was staying with Substitute Shinigami Kurosaki Ichigo. Sparks had been silently flying out of old rivalry and mutual annoyance – because surely those were the only reasons there would be tension between them...

Both Ichigo and Byakuya's lives had been thrown into strange disarray by the unusual circumstances this mission had placed them in. However, in the space of few days they had grown somewhat accustomed to it. Well, as accustomed as a noble Shinigami and a human teenager could get to having their lives thrown together. Right now, they were packing their bags for another day at school, when Ichigo heard Byakuya's cellphone vibrating.

He guessed it was probably Renji calling, to discuss paperwork and squad business like he did every other day. But when Byakuya picked up the call, he said, "Rukia."

Byakuya continued the conversation in the room, so Ichigo was subjected to hearing one side of the phone call between the Kuchiki siblings.

"Yes, I'm doing fine...

No, there isn't any problem...

No, I do not require anything...

There is nothing enjoyable about going to school full of unstable and unruly human teenagers or pretending to be one of them. That is by far the worst part of this mission...

Actually his family is very courteous, compared to him...

No, I haven't met his father...

Yes I expect everything to be running smooth in the Kuchiki household under your responsibility while I am away...

Nothing significant so far. I have been recording data concerning the rifts around Karakura town. There were only two hollow attacks, but such lowly ones that I did not even need to draw my sword."

Ichigo had not been with Byakuya when he went off to kill those hollows, but he could picture them being blown off by kido before they even knew what was happening. Mere minutes had transpired between the hollow sensor beeping and Byakuya returning after finishing them off on both occasions. Ichigo could tell that this mission was getting very dreary for Byakuya, who seemed to be a workaholic and would probably prefer being in his office running his squad.

"...The brat is nothing but an uncouth eyesore."

Ichigo threw the book in his hand at Byakuya when he heard that last line, aiming for the noble's head from behind. Despite having his back to the projectile, Byakuya deflected it with a flick of his wrist.

He ended the phone call and without turning around, said "The next time you throw your belongings at me, I will incinerate them with kido." Ichigo glared at him and picked up his book from the floor.

As they went downstairs for breakfast, Ichigo said, "You didn't even ask Rukia how she is."

"It was not necessary," came the cold reply.

"Wow, you're so nice Byakuya, I'd love to have a caring big brother like you." Ichigo retorted, dripping with sarcasm.

"If you were a member of my family I would have you disowned if not assassinated."

"If I were in your family, I'd spare you the trouble and hang myself from the shame of being related to you."

"Then perhaps being related to you would not be so bad after all."

"Do you have to piss me off nice and early in the morning? You arrogant - "

"Ichi-nii! Are you being rude to our guest again?" Karin snapped at him as they reached the breakfast table. Ichigo scowled but did not reply. He then noticed that Yuzu was pouring some warm milk into and old saucer. "What's that for?" he asked.

"There's this adorable little kitten who has been seeking shelter just outside our house, Onii-chan," Yuzu explained. "He looks hungry and lonely, we've been trying to feed him."

"If only our dad didn't have a rule against pets! We could take better care of the kitten, " added Karin.

"Onii-chan, do you think he'll give us permission to keep the kitten?"

"I don't think so, you know he doesn't like pets," replied Ichigo.

"It's not fair, most of our friends have pets," Karin said, sounding frustrated.

"Byakuya-sama, do you have any pets back at home?" Yuzu suddenly asked.

Byakuya paused in his breakfast, looking expressionless and not even turning to the girl who asked him the question. _Pets?_ For a moment, a suppressed humorous voice in his head wanted to reply with "_Yes, he's named_ _Renji" _, but of course Byakuya would not stoop low to cooperating with that mischievous voice.

"Yes, I have a pond of koi fish," came the delayed answer.

The Kurosakis exchanged glances. A _pond_ of fish. Not a fish bowl, or an aquarium, but a _pond_.

"And Rukia has a family of rabbits," Byakuya continued.

"Oh, is the cage made of gold?" quipped Ichigo.

Byakuya's demeanor grew ice-cold again. "Kurosaki Ichigo," he said, "We may be wealthy but it does not mean we are wasteful. The cage is not made of gold, it is made of silver."

The Kurosaki siblings were all very close to choking on their breakfast.

Ichigo cursed in his mind about being stuck with this noble _for God knows how long. _He sighed as he mentally prepared for another day at school with Byakuya.

Later that day, Byakuya and Ichigo were walking down the school hallway when a girl  
>from another class stopped them. Ichigo didn't know her name, but had seen her before. She was one of the prettiest girls in the school, and one of the popular crowd. They had never talked before, and Ichigo was about to ask how they could help her, but she spoke first. "Kuchiki-san, may I talk to you for a minute?"<p>

Byakuya did not look at the girl or answer, he just stood where he was. Ichigo looked at him and then at the girl. "Err...I don't think that's a very good idea..." he said.

The girl glared at him and in an angry voice she said, "Kurosaki-san, I did not ask for your opinion. Now will you please let me talk in private with Kuchiki-san."

Ichigo felt annoyed by her tone. "Whatever.." he said and walked off. _If you want to deal with his attitude it's not my problem. Don't come whining when the ice prince freezes you and treats you like an insignificant being if your lucky, and dirt if your not. _As Ichigo turned a corner he stole a glance to see that Byakuya was still standing with his back and gaze straight, face completely expressionless as the girl started with a few nervous sentences under his intimidating cold presence. She was blushing a deep shade of red. _What the hell does she think she's doing?_

Ichigo would probably feel embarrassed about it later, but right then he could not contain his curiosity so he decided to eavesdrop from behind the corner.

"Kuchiki-san, I um," the girl sounded slightly shrill, "Thank you for taking time to talk to me. I just wanted to say..." She stopped and blushed deeper, tried to look into Byakuya's eyes but could not summon the courage. "Kuchiki-san, I really really like you."

Byakuya did not say anything in reply. He still did not look at her, and his face was still devoid of expression except his eyes narrowing somewhat and his perfect eyebrows drawing close.

From his observation point, Ichigo cursed under his breath. Something about this business was making him very angry. And somehow his anger was directed at the girl and not Byakuya.

The girl seemed to have recovered her breath, and looked up expectantly at Byakuya's face, taking a step back on finding no reaction.

She was not going to back down now. "Kuchiki-san, I like you and I was hoping you would ask me out sometime. I've fallen for you since the first time I saw you, you are the most perfect - "

This time, Byakuya spoke, cutting her off. "I am not interested." His voice was cold as ice.

The girl gaped for a while. _How pathetic_, thought Ichigo.

Then she went back to something similar to the angry voice she had used with Ichigo, but a lot toned down under because she did not have the guts to talk to Byakuya like that. "What? What do you mean? How can that be?"

"I do not repeat myself," there was a hint of irritation in Byakuya's deep voice now.

"Why are you not interested?" The girl was getting even more high pitched now and Ichigo felt extremely annoyed. _Get over yourself_, he thought. The girl continued, "Can't you see that I've totally fallen for you?"

"You do not interest me," Byakuya stated blankly. For the first time, he met her eyes, putting on his glare. "Now, if you have nothing more to say, remove yourself from my way."

The girl was frozen, her mouth hanging open as she shrunk under the glare. Tears were forming in her eyes, and Ichigo was sure this was the most ruthless rejection of any confession ever made in Karakura High School. Somehow instead of feeling sympathetic for the girl, he felt oddly triumphant.

Byakuya simply walked past the girl in his slow, easy glide, his face once again unreadable and his silky black hair gently swaying in the breeze from the windows.

Ichigo pretended to be walking along the corridor. Byakuya had caught up with him. "You were observing quite eagerly," said the Shinigami.

_Damn, wrong person to spy on under cover_. "Yeah, I thought I should stay in case things got out of hand." _Lie_. "And you were very rude back there. You probably broke the girl's heart for good. Did you have to be such an asshole?" _Yet, I wasn't exactly complaining when it was happening.  
><em>

"Watch your language, Kurosaki Ichigo. And if I'm not interested in her there would be no point in giving her hope by forcing myself to be nice to her. Women can be shamelessly persistent unless the rejection is solid."

"How many women have you rejected?"

Ichigo thought for a second that he saw a hint of a smile on Byakuya's face, but surely he was hallucinating. When he looked closer, he saw there was nothing.

"I never kept count. I am not saying that to boast, because the constant confessions from unworthy suitors are actually extremely annoying." Byakuya sounded bored.

"Still, you could have been nicer. I mean, she was confessing her feelings to you and you were being insensitive."

"How many times have you been confessed to?"

"What? That's none of your business, Byakuya!"

"Oh, I see. I'll take that as a '_never_'."

Ichigo scowled. He was feeling very angry, but somehow he knew that there was something suspicious about the reason behind his anger. They walked towards class in silence.

Ichigo found himself in a foul mood through the next few classes, and when it was time for lunch break he was hoping some time in the fresh air on the roof would lift his mood. However that plan was not working out, as being with Byakuya was the root of the problem. He was feeling exasperated, having to spend every waking hour with the noble.

_Every hour I'm asleep too_, he thought, since they were sharing the bedroom. But this thought made him blush furiously and he decided to turn away before the source of his annoyance noticed. _What's wrong with me? _While looking away, his eyes fell on a group of students who were playing spin the bottle on one corner of the roof, challenging each other with truths or dares. _People sure know how to waste time_, he thought. But at least they were doing something better than what had been the chief pastime of the school today – discussing Byakuya's cruel rejection of that confession. Suddenly he realized one of the members of the group was walking in his direction. He wondered if the boy's dare involved making fun of his orange hair, in which case he would hand him his ass even though he looked small, harmless and defenseless.

But the boy walked past him, and stopped in front of Byakuya. _Another person with a death wish?_

The boy was practically terrified, but seemed determined to carry out his dare. "Excuse me, Kuchiki-san, may I ask you a question please?" he asked in a trembling voice before the impassive noble, who said nothing in reply.

A few tense seconds of silence passed. The boy swallowed and took Byakuya's silence as his permission, and closing his eyes involuntarily out of fear he asked in one breath, "Kuchiki-san my friends over there told me to ask you, do you like girls or boys?"

_What. The. Hell._Ichigo spun around, speechless at the question and the fact that someone had the courage or foolishness to ask Byakuya such a thing.

The Shinigami had not replied or even acknowledged the boy's presence. He simply sat where he was, with the poise and silence of a marble statue, his gaze fixed somewhere far away.

The boy looked at Byakuya and then at his friends, who were waiting, holding there breaths and the girls holding back giggles too. Ichigo had quite enough of this business.

"What kind of a question is that?" He shouted. "What is wrong with you people - seriously? Do you not have anything better to do? Or did the girl who got rejected start spreading rumours about Byakuya's preferences to defend her own failure?"

The boy flinched at Ichigo's outburst but stood his ground.

"What are you waiting for?" The fuming Ichigo asked.

"I haven't gotten my answer...," replied the boy.

"But it's none of your business!"

"But they dared me!"

"Ok, whatever. Well, Byakuya had a wi- ," Ichigo stopped himself in time, high school students do not have wives. "Ahem. Byakuya had a girlfriend. For a long time. Is that answer enough for you? Now get lost!"

"Sorry for disturbing you," the boy gave a weak smile at having accomplished his dare, and began to walk back to his friends.

"I like both," Byakuya's deep monotone voice spoke up.

The boy stopped dead in his tracks and Ichigo almost jumped back in astonishment. "What?" They said in unison, and a few voices from the group of observers behind them joined in the chorus.

"Both men and women." Byakuya said, frowning in the irritation of having to repeat himself.

Ichigo went completely red at this statement, and if he had tried to find his voice, he would not be able to. His eyes were the size of saucers.

There were gasps from the observers around them, followed by an awkward silence.

The boy with the dare recovered somewhat, and thanked Byakuya for answering his question before joining his equally stunned friends. Everyone was quite taken aback by the incident, and soon began talking in hushed voices (the girls seemed particularly excited).

But it was Ichigo who was yet to recover, he still stood motionless in shock, blushing uncontrollably and struggling to talk. Byakuya had still not moved or looked at anyone. What seemed like an eternity of time went by this way, until the bell rang signaling the end of lunch break.

Byakuya got up and started heading back to class, serenely walking past Ichigo and then saying, "You seem extremely surprised, Kurosaki Ichigo."

Ichigo had not yet regained his speech.

Byakuya figured that none of the others from Soul Society had bothered to tell Ichigo that most Shinigami were bisexual. Had Byakuya been less fond of silence and more prone to conversation, he may have considered giving the orange haired teenager that bit of information. But he could not be bothered about something like that. "You will be late for class if you just stand there gaping like a fish."

Ichigo managed to compose himself a little and said, "I'm not gaping."

_Oh, of course. You're not blushing either_, thought Byakuya.

Willing himself back into walking, Ichigo joined the noble on the way to class.

His mind was still buzzing in a strange way, as he kept thinking , "_Of all things, THIS is what I find I have in common with Byakuya?"_

* * *

><p><strong>Next Chapter: Rain<strong>

**A/N: **The next chapter will not be entirely the light humorous type like the previous ones. It will take on a more emotional theme, I'm worried about being able to pull it off well enough for those who are reading!

Reviews will surely add to my confidence!  
>Thank you to all the reviewers who took time to tell me that they're enjoying my story.<p> 


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: **Rain is going to take up two chapters. The first one is rather dark. The second one is a bit _naughty_.**  
><strong>

Please excuse the use of profanity, it was necessary to portray the emotions of the characters. I'm not personally a big fan of swearing.**  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 7: Rain (Part I )<br>**

"Exactly _how _long have you been up?" Ichigo asked as he got out of bed lazily, for he had woken up to find Byakuya sitting at the desk working on his communication devices. Byakuya was frowning at his laptop screen, and did not grace Ichigo's question with a reply, he was feeling irked at how little work he had for the day.

Byakuya had more reason to frown at the screen when it half reflected the image of Ichigo stretching behind him, making noises that seemed incredibly inappropriate to the well-bred noble. He found it very disturbing to watch and hear him stretch.

For some reason, the teenager appeared to be in a good mood, because despite the previous failure to extract a response he still continued talking. "It's the weekend, Byakuya. Who gets up early to work on a weekend? You need to loosen up! Anyway let's have breakfast, you must be hungry since you've been up for a while."

_Loosen up. How dare the brat say such things to me?_ But Byakuya _was_hungry, so he decided work could wait a little.

"Hey Byakuya, how do you spend weekends back in Soul Society?" Ichigo asked, wondering if the ice-prince was at least more relaxed when he was at home, or if he was just as cold and stiff.

"I tend to matters of my clan and its businesses and property, which accumulate over the week while I'm busy with the responsibilities of Squad Six," came the uninteresting reply.

It was Ichigo who frowned this time. "Don't you ever...you know, do anything to...relax?" Although, somehow, it was difficult to picture Byakuya relaxing. In fact Ichigo had actually believed Byakuya even frowned while he slept, but he found proof that he was wrong since they started sharing a bedroom. _Not like I watch Byakuya sleeping of course. Not like he looks beautiful while sleeping. Wait, did I just think 'beautiful'?  
><em>

"If I get some free time, I perform calligraphy, or read, or take long walks."

_That does not sound fun_. But then again, Byakuya relaxing was possible, but Byakuya having fun was surely impossible!

"What are the weekend activities of humans?"

Ichigo hated how Byakuya's voice always made it sound as if humans were inferior beings. _Of course, he thinks everyone is inferior to him. Snob. _"Well, it's different for different people. I like to spend my weekends playing video games, watching anime or movies, or hanging out with friends. I also use some of the free time to help around with chores at home. But this weekend I have to study, because I have some make-up exams for the ones I missed during the winter war."

Byakuya quietly registered the activities that sounded so alien to him. Since he liked to read, he was quite well informed on matters of the human realm, so he had some idea what video games, movies and anime were. But the way the boy spoke of enjoying the activities was what seemed alien. That, and _chores_.

After breakfast, Byakuya and Ichigo were left alone in the house because the girls were going on a picnic with their friends. But half an hour into the silence as they both concentrated on their own work, Byakuya's hollow sensor started beeping. And the first set of beeping was joined by a second.

"Two hollows?" asked Ichigo.

Byakuya didn't say anything, but reached for his Soul Candy dispenser to turn back to his Shinigami form.

"Hey Byakuya, I think I'd like to go with you -"

"Kurosaki Ichigo stop delaying me unnecessarily. Do you think I'm incapable of handling two such low level hollows? And you have been ordered to refrain from fighting them."

"I know, I know. Look, I'm just bored of not being a part of Shinigami duties. I miss it. I just want to tag along, I'm not going to fight. Okay?"

Byakuya neither agreed nor declined, but simply stepped out the window. Taking his silence to be an affirmative, Ichigo hurriedly turned into his Shinigami form using his Substitute Shinigami badge, asked Kon to stay out of trouble and followed Byakuya who had already flash-stepped into a considerable distance.

As they headed for the direction of the hollows, Ichigo noticed that the sky was dark and grey. It was probably going to rain. He was snapped from his thoughts when the hollow reiatsu was right up ahead, and Byakuya gracefully landed to the ground.

There was one hollow standing not far from Byakuya, who simply raised his hand to fire a kido spell. "Destructive Art number Four. Byakurai." The pale lightning shot from Byakuya's fingers immediately disintegrated the hollow.

Ichigo watched from the roof of a nearby building. Watching Byakuya fight, if you could call such effortless action fighting, was quite a treat to the eyes. Such grace, class and power. But once again he was taken out of his thoughts as two more hollows appeared immediately in front of and behind Byakuya, and Ichigo found himself opening his mouth to shout a warning to the noble.

But before his words left his mouth, Byakuya had sheathed his sword after slicing through both the hollows.

_This guy is really amazing. But I'm never going to tell him that and add to his stupid ego_, thought Ichigo.

Byakuya scanned the surroundings and concentrated on picking up any further trace of hollow reiatsu. When he didn't find any, he cross-checked with his hollow sensor.

"So I guess we're going back home now?" asked Ichigo from the nearby roof.

"No, there is a dimensional rift here which allowed the hollows to enter in a group. I'm going to seal it," replied Byakuya as he took off into the air again and slowly raised his reiatsu to work on the rift.

But suddenly, there was an uncontrolled burst of reiatsu from Ichigo, sending shockwaves across for miles.

"What are you doing, Kurosaki Ichigo?" Byakuya asked annoyed and turned around, only to find Ichigo hunched over on the roof, holding his head in his hands, a look of pain on his face and his eyes unfocused.

_The brat has lost control of his reiatsu_, Byakuya realized. It was probably a part of the process of Ichigo losing his powers.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, control your power, now." He ordered coldly. "You're going to make the rift worse if you don't." But Ichigo did not seem to be hearing him, let alone doing as he said.

Byakuya decided to trap Ichigo in a binding spell, but was interrupted as Ichigo's explosive reiatsu multiplied even more, with a simultaneous rip of the dimensional rift. Hollows, including Menos Grande in the tens, started pouring in.

Byakuya had to act fast. The Hollows were being drawn into the human world not by their own control, but by Ichigo's sudden reiatsu blasting through the dimensions. In fact, most were flying towards the boy right now.

Byakuya flash-stepped to stand in front of the boy, who was now on his hands and knees overpowered by his own reiatsu. At the same time, he trapped Ichigo into a Six-Rod Light Prison and sliced through the approaching Menos Grande with his sword. The binding spell only toned down Ichigo's overflowing power slightly, and the hollows kept coming from all around them, but Byakuya was too fast to be seen by them as he eliminated them.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, can you not see what's happening? Concentrate and bring down your reiatsu or you'll land your world in danger."

Ichigo felt helpless and angry, he was not doing this on purpose. In fact he had no idea why this was happening and it was so painful.

Hearing only incoherent groans from the boy in reply, Byakuya decided to close up the dimensional rift or at least narrow it down to prevent the influx of hollows. It seemed the boy was not in a state to exert any control. It would be difficult, to close the rift while Ichigo's reiatsu was tearing it apart, and Byakuya released his own reiatsu further.

He considered contacting Soul Society to remove the limiter on his powers, but that would waste precious time and he felt he could act with his limited powers which were still formidable enough to take on all these hollows.

"Chire, Senbonzakura" Byakuya released his shikai, taking down a large number of hollows in a wave of blades that was impossible for them to track. At the same time, he was using a very powerful kido spell on the rift while keeping watch on whether there were any attacks on Ichigo. He also used his own reiatsu to try to overpower the boy's, hoping it would drive Ichigo to bring it under control.

Whether because of that, or not, Ichigo's reiatsu suddenly started falling rapidly. The hollows also came to their senses because of that, and started acting in a more coordinated manner, attempting to spread out in search of food. It would have been effortless with his bankai, but Byakuya was forbidden to use such power in the human realm, so he eliminated the hollows before they could spread out further. Then he finally managed to seal off the rift.

He then returned to Ichigo's side on the roof, finding the boy lying on his side, half curled up and breathing erratically. He looked pale and disoriented.

"Kurosaki Ichigo," Byakuya said and paused, unsure of what to say. He knew the boy had guessed by now that this was an effect of the process of his powers disappearing. "I have sealed the rift securely, we should return now. You will need to rest."

Ichigo struggled to raise himself, supporting his weight on his arms. After the explosion of power, it had suddenly dwindled to a very alarmingly low level and he felt dizzy. Byakuya stood a few steps away, looking impassive and unruffled although he had probably used an unusual amount of effort in the last few minutes. Ichigo slowly got up. _The cold hearted bastard is not even offering to help. Not like I'd accept his help if he did offer it._

"Let's go." Byakuya turned around to start heading back to the Kurosaki residence. It had begun to rain, slightly more than a drizzle.

Ichigo took one step, and then stumbled and fell. His reiatsu exploded again, this time far higher.

Byakuya whipped around, finding the boy screaming in agony and his reiatsu was completely out of control. Fortunately, the rift was effectively sealed and did not tear up again. But the boy's reiatsu itself was dangerous.

He proceeded to fire another bakudo spell, this time of higher level, to suppress Ichigo's power. But before he did that, the boy collapsed to the ground. His reiatsu was gone.

It was not just lower this time. It was gone.

Byakuya's eyes widened. Was this it? Had Kurosaki Ichigo actually lost his power for good? He felt a bit flustered at that thought, but then it occurred to him that this was more likely a temporary state. They had gone over the possible scenarios for the Substitute's loss of power in Soul Society, and Byakuya had made sure to thoroughly understand the situation before embarking on his mission to handle it.

Byakuya walked towards the boy, lying face down on the roof now, but stopped short in shock. Ichigo's black shihakusho was disappearing, replaced by plain white robes. His Shinigami powers were disappearing.

Ichigo raised himself up on his arm, and he exclaimed in shock and Byakuya let out a gasp.

There was a chain hanging from Ichigo's chest.

Byakuya knew that the other end of the chain was attached to Ichigo's mortal body.

Ichigo stared at it in dismay. Byakuya suddenly flash stepped to his side and picked him up, an unusual anxious look on his face.

Ichigo's head lurched as Byakuya hoisted him over his shoulder. "Kurosaki Ichigo, we need to get you into your mortal body, as soon as possible."

Byakuya took off in flash step. "If we don't, you may never be able to return."

In the rain which was now coming down in a downpour, he sped over buildings and through the sky, in his fastest shunpo, a speed only outdone by the "god of flash" Shihoin Yoruichi. If they could not return to Ichigo's body before the chain broke, it would mean Ichigo's soul would be permanently severed from the body.

In other words, Ichigo would die.

Byakuya was surprised at the wave of sadness flowing through him at that thought. The sadness had suddenly appeared when he first felt the boy losing his power. But now it came back stronger. He did not want the boy to die.

_Would he have to perform konsoh on him? Would he have to slay Ichigo's hollow if it took over?_

Byakuya did not understand, and would not indulge himself in such foolish emotions. He closed off his mind to those feelings, concentrating on reaching the Kurosaki residence as fast as he could.

"Byakuya, damn it, stop moving so fast. I feel ill." Ichigo sobbed into the Shinigami's robes, holding on in the fear of being flung off by the speed. He felt nauseous and scared.

"Be quiet and close your eyes." hissed Byakuya.

"Byakuya please just put me down. I...I can't take this anymore." Ichigo cried, but couldn't continue speaking because the world started to go dark before his eyes.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, do not lose consciousness, you must try to stay awake," urged Byakuya, a hint of apprehension in his deep voice, which did not have its usual calm tone. "Kurosaki Ichigo!"

Ichigo blacked out. Byakuya inaudibly sighed a curse and uncharacteristically broke out in cold sweat, as he continued speeding towards his destination.

* * *

><p>Ichigo regained consciousness. His eyes were closed but he could tell he was back in his body and lying in bed. His head hurt and he felt weak and sick. But could breathe a lot easier now than when he was in his soul form with the chain. He could hear the rain pouring down outside, beating against his window. <em>So we made it back to my body. <em>He opened his eyes.

Kuchiki Byakuya was in his gigai again, sitting at the reading table surrounded by his devices from Soul Society, watching him expressionlessly as he opened his eyes and looked around. It pissed Ichigo off.

"Can you recall your name and where you are?" asked Byakuya, to ascertain the boy's mind was functioning alright along with his body.

"Shut up, Byakuya." _And thanks for asking how I'm feeling._

_Well, his mind seems to be working just fine, _thought Byakuya.

"How long was I unconscious?" Ichigo sat up and asked the noble, to find him placidly typing into his laptop. _Oh, he must love having a report to write._

"For about three and a half hours."

There was silence for a while, with the only sound being the light tapping on Byakuya's keyboard. Ichigo spoke up, in a heavy voice. "I can't feel my reiatsu. Are my powers gone?" His voice trembled, he hated himself for not being able to act strong in front of Byakuya.

With a slight pause to consider his words, Byakuya replied. "Yes, your powers are gone. However, it is too early to ascertain whether this is temporary or permanent. To reach that decision you have to be observed for -"

"Shut the fucking hell up!" yelled Ichigo, shaking suddenly with rage as he got to his feet.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, watch your language when you speak to me," Byakuya's voice was cold and menacing.

"No. I'll talk however the hell I want, because this is my house. You don't fucking belong here. Get out. Now."

"Kurosaki Ichigo, I am under orders to monitor -" Byakuya was cut off again.

"I am not a mission, Byakuya! I am a person! Stop treating me like an entry in your work agenda."

Ichigo could not stand this anymore, he was in utter despair right now, his life as a Shinigami flashing before his eyes as he registered that his powers were gone. And of all people to be with in this state, _Byakuya. How could Soul Society decide to leave me with him at a time like this?_

Byakuya stood frowning and glaring at the teenager. He could tell that he was emotionally unstable, but his language and conduct was making him fill up with anger.

"You, you would not have any idea what I'm feeling now, you heartless bastard" the boy said, his voice harsh, broken, trembling. "There's a reason why everyone hates you Byakuya. Yeah, that's right, I'm telling you on your face I'm sure everyone hates you where you come from. Do you think that Rukia, Renji and the other people in Gotei 13 like you? No, they don't. The other captains just treat you with respect for the stick of nobility up your ass. Renji doesn't respect you, he fears you. And Rukia – she doesn't worship you, she's just grateful for things you've done for her but I'm sure no one will ever consider someone who once tried to kill them to really be their brother. Get out Byakuya. I'm in a tough spot in life and have no need to deal with you now."

A flame of rage ignited over Byakuya's body. His reiatsu suddenly went up, of course Ichigo could not feel it. "Kurosaki Ichigo, how dare you -"

"How dare I tell you the truth? No one dares to tell you the truth in Soul Society because they fear you, but I don't. You don't like how it sounds? Well news flash Kuchiki Byakuya, I don't care. Just like you don't care about anyone or anything other than your empty pride."

"Enough!" Byakuya had lost his cool now. He had raised his voice and his eyes were flashing dangerously with rage. "Stop this nonsense, now!"

"Are you ordering me, Kuchiki Taichou? Hey you know what, my powers are gone. I'm not a Shinigami. A captain of Gotei 13 has absolutely no fucking authority to order me. But I order you to get out of my house before I throw you out."

"I am not going to walk out on my mission because of an unstable teenager," Byakuya found himself saying.

Something snapped inside Ichigo's mind. He aimed a punch at Byakuya. Byakuya stopped his fist easily. Even angrier now, Ichigo tried to kick Byakuya in his abdomen. But he found himself thrown on the floor by a blow on his side from the noble.

Ichigo's head reeled more from the insult than the pain. "See, you don't even refrain from holding back on exerting your reiatsu on me even though you know my powers are gone. You make me sick Byakuya. You disgust me." Ichigo found tears running down his face. He felt so ashamed. His voice had lowered to a barely audible raspy whisper, as he said "Get out. Now."

Byakuya had not used an ounce of reiatsu but only the strength of his body in pushing Ichigo, but the boy obviously believed otherwise.

Byakuya was seeing red with anger. He could not believe he was being insulted this way. He could not believe the limits of his patience were being challenged by the Substitute Shinigami. Kuchiki Byakuya would not deal with such insolent behaviour.

He took out the monitoring bracelet and held it in the boy's direction. "Wear this in my absence."

Ichigo looked up, his eyes full of despair and anger. He took the device from Byakuya and threw it against the wall. It broke. "I will not wear your monitoring devices. I am not a mission. I am no longer a Shinigami and I do not have to put up with being treated like a guinea pig by a cruel bastard."

This was the last straw. Byakuya turned on his heel and walked out of the room, out of the plebeian house he had been subjected to living in, and into the rain. His anger was still out of control, for he had slammed the door on his way. The rain was pouring down relentlessly, but Byakuya was too engulfed in rage to notice.


	8. Chapter 8

**Warning: **If you're not a yaoi fan, this chapter may be a _**little**_ hard to accept. But read on! (I don't think I have to ask the yaoi fans to read on.)

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 8: Rain (Part II )<strong>

Ichigo heard the door slamming downstairs as Byakuya walked out of the house. He felt a great weight lift of him, a surge of relief for having the source of his anger disappear, and he sank to the floor as he let himself break down completely now.

He would not be able to protect anyone. He would not see dead souls, sense hollows, or interact with Shinigami without their gigai. He was powerless, useless, good for nothing now. He would never swing Zangetsu again. Never fire a Getsuga Tenshou. He felt his heart break into a million pieces.

For almost an hour, he cried. He was not ashamed of it anymore, to have to cry. He had to let out his despair. He felt himself drowning into oblivion. He was a nobody now. He was nothing. Byakuya would have every reason to look down upon him even more.

_Byakuya? Why am I thinking of him? _Ichigo shook as another wave of sobs hit him.

_Byakuya... _Byakuya had tried to control Ichigo's reiatsu when it went out of control. He had killed the hollows pouring in, while closing the rift and preventing harm from reaching Ichigo. " '_Kurosaki Ichigo, do not lose consciousness, you must try to stay awake_'", the words came back to Ichigo, along with that uncharacteristic anxious urgency in the deep voice that said those words. Byakuya had used his highest ability of shunpo while carrying Ichigo back to his body before it was too late to put his soul back.

Byakuya had saved his life.

And he had thrown him out of the house after being very rude to him.

Ichigo suddenly felt a horrible surge of guilt taking over his despair. Rude did not begin to describe the way he had treated Byakuya. He had intentionally attempted to make Byakuya feel horrible, because he was feeling miserable himself and wanted the noble to break too. Because he could not tolerate being weak in front of Byakuya, who was so strong.

He didn't know if Byakuya was capable of feeling horrible, but he was sure that the look in Byakuya's eyes as his harsh words erupted was something he had never seen before. Though the rest of his face had remained expressionless, there had been something in his eyes. _What was it? Pain? Sadness? Hurt? _He just knew one thing, it was not something that suited Byakuya. He never wanted to see such a thing again.

But he had caused it. Out of his own selfish need. Disgust and regret filled him.

He got up to go after Byakuya. _He walked out into the rain_. _He must be getting drenched._

Ichigo wondered why it always had to rain when he was in despair and regret.

* * *

><p>Kuchiki Byakuya walked down the streets of Karakura Town, through the rain that made everything blurry. He did not know where his feet were taking him, but he needed to walk off his anger as the rain washed it away.<p>

He knew people scurrying under umbrellas or huddling under shade were eyeing him curiously, but he did not care. His gaze was still out of focus because rage flashing through his vision. Byakuya realized he needed to calm the anger flowing through his veins, this was disgraceful of a Kuchiki.

He was the head of the Kuchiki clan. Never in his life had he been treated in the way Kurosaki Ichigo had treated him now. He was Kuchiki Byakuya. He had closed off his emotions a long time ago, yet that boy's words had left sharp raw blows somewhere inside him. It infuriated him.

But what infuriated him the most, was not Kurosaki Ichigo's behaviour, but his own. He had felt so helpless and anxious when that chain appeared on Ichigo. He had distinctly felt sadness inside him when he realized Ichigo was losing his power. It made no sense, because he was sent on this mission in the first place because the boy was losing his powers. And he knew his sadness was only partly due to the fact that Soul Society was indebted to Kurosaki Ichigo. Yet, that sadness was nothing in comparison what he felt to find the boy hanging precariously between life and death as he passed out on his shoulder. The speed at which Byakuya had been flash-stepping did not serve to clear his mind of the despair he felt right then. _Disgraceful. Shameful. Kuchiki Byakuya does not feel despair. Where is my pride?_

_ " 'Well news flash Kuchiki Byakuya, I don't care. Just like you don't care about anyone or anything other than your empty pride.'"_Remembering the boy's words sent a new wave of anger over him.

On bringing Ichigo back to his room, he had thanked the heavens that the chain was still linked. The boy's mod soul lay discarded on the floor next to his empty body. Byakuya had wasted no time in letting Ichigo's soul form merge back to his body, before placing him onto the bed for he was still unconscious. Somehow he felt that it was not duty alone that made him apprehensively check his pulse and breathing – if it had been duty, there would not be the fear of finding his vitals giving out, for his duty was to monitor the boy, not mourn his loss. If it had been duty alone, he would not have felt such relief on finding Ichigo back to life in his body, or on watching him regain consciousness. _My entire life has been about duty. What has happened to me now?_

_Why did I have to be sent on this mission? _Byakuya's anger was now directed at the Gotei 13. At the Captain Commander, for assigning him to the mission. At Kyoraku and Hitsugaya for suggesting he was the most appropriate captain to play the role of a high school student. At Ukitake for saying his calm composure and quick thinking made him ideal to handle the situation.

He was Kuchiki Byakuya. The twenty-eighth head of the noble Kuchiki clan. The captain of the Sixth Squad. And now, he was walking through the rain, completely drenched and alone, because he had been unceremoniously thrown out of Kurosaki Ichigo's house following a tirade of spiteful words.

Kuchiki Byakuya had no reason to tolerate such insult and injustice. _I will not put up with this anymore. I have had enough._

* * *

><p>Ichigo had already walked out far into the streets when he realized he had not brought an umbrella. The rain was pouring down hard. But it would waste precious time if he went back for an umbrella, and he did not want to be slowed down. He also realized, his reiatsu was gone along with the ability to sense reiatsu, so he had no idea how to trace Byakuya. He could call up Inoue or Ishida or Chad for help, but that would also take time since he had left his phone at home. And he did not want to explain this situation to anyone. Where could Byakuya have gone? <em>Did he go back to Soul Society? If not, where could he be?<em>

Ichigo broke into a brisk run. Byakuya had seemed to like the park, he said it afforded open space in a congested world of concrete. _Maybe he went there? _Ichigo was aware of looking like a madman as he ran through the streets in the rain, his eyes searching the surroundings desperately.

The park was practically deserted though, as he ran through it from end to end. Exhausted, he took a break to catch his breath, panting, his sides splitting from all the running. _Byakuya, where are you?_The rain was pouring down hard. Every inch of Ichigo was drenched. When he caught his breath, he thought of the next place to look for Byakuya in.

_No, not there. I don't want to go there when it's raining, and I'm powerless and full of regret. _But he had let his hopelessness make him act selfishly quite enough for the day, he had to prioritize on finding Byakuya and apologizing to him. _Apologize to Byakuya? I never thought it would come down to this!_

As Ichigo took off again, a sudden wave of dizziness hit him as his reiatsu suddenly returned inside him. He stopped in his tracks, feeling some relief as his body felt the power return. It was far from the powerful reiatsu he used to have, only a remnant of his abilities. But it was definitely back. He had not yet lost his powers completely.

" _'Yes, your powers are gone. However, it is too early to ascertain whether this is temporary or permanent.'_" Byakuya had tried to tell him that before Ichigo cut him off with his outburst.

His reiatsu was very weak right now, as were his abilities to sense the reiatsu of others. He felt all the significant sources of reiatsu in Karakura Town in a very jumbled form, unable to separate them in his perception. But one reiatsu stood out, obviously. The beautiful, strong, unfaltering power that was Kuchiki Byakuya. Ichigo could feel his reiatsu, above those of the others.

But he could not pinpoint where it was coming from. Ichigo panicked again. Although it was certain now that Byakuya had not returned to Soul Society, it would be difficult to find him when his reiatsu sensing was in such a rudimentary form.

Then, he remembered the technique that he had picked up from Ishida a long time ago.

Ichigo closed his eyes, concentrating on finding Byakuya's red Soul Ribbon.

He found it. _So, I was right. He is in that place._

* * *

><p>Byakuya had been walking for a long time now, immersed in his thoughts and in the rain. He looked around him. His feet had brought him to the riverside, he had been here before with Ichigo, who went into a strange brooding mood each time they walked past the river. The rain and the river had a dark beauty together, but Byakuya was too consumed by anger to notice.<p>

What he had noticed though, was that Ichigo's reiatsu had returned. He could suddenly sense the boy's reiatsu, but it was very weak. _So I was right about his powers being temporarily gone. He threw that fit prematurely._

Byakuya kept walking. He realized that Ichigo's reiatsu was coming closer. _What's going on? Is he looking for me? Why would he do that?_

Ichigo was not far now. Byakuya pondered on what to do. He certainly did not want to see that insolent teenager's face. He did not want to talk to him ever again. _I suppose he doesn't even know where he's heading, and will throw another fit when he runs into me by accident._

_...Because surely, he's not intentionally coming after me._

* * *

><p>Following Byakuya's Soul Ribbon, Ichigo reached the road by the side of the river. It was difficult to see anything in the distance because of the rain, but as he ran further down the road, he saw what was unmistakably the silhouette of the noble.<p>

"Byakuya!" He called out.

When Ichigo's reiatsu approached his vicinity, Byakuya soon caught sight of the shock of orange hair in the distance. Then the boy called out to him. _He has the nerve to call out to me, after all that?_Byakuya stopped walking, wondering whether or not to turn away.

The boy ran fast and gracelessly towards him, and stopped a few feet from him, panting as though he had been running at full speed for a long time. "Byakuya, wait, don't turn and leave." He said between laboured breaths.

Byakuya frowned slightly, the rest of his face impassive.

Despite the sadness and guilt in his system, Ichigo found his breath getting caught at the sight of Byakuya in the rain.

He was completely soaked. His long black hair was shiny and dripping as it stuck to his face and neck. His plain classy white shirt was translucent from wetness and it adhered closely to his body as did the rest of his clothing, defining his lean toned built. Tiny streams of water kept pouring over his pale skin.

Byakuya looked out of this world. Beautiful and powerful. Ichigo was sure he had never seen someone simply stand with such grace and class. His grey eyes were fixed dangerously on Ichigo.

Wondering what exactly to say, Ichigo followed a drop of water as it dripped from Byakuya's bangs, down his aristocratic cheekbone, down his defined jaw, down his elegant neck as it reached a sharp collarbone and then disappeared into the pale skin behind his shirt. Ichigo's mouth had gone dry.

"What do you want?" Byakuya's voice uncharacteristically broke the silence between them. He sounded cold and foreboding.

"Byakuya...I...," Ichigo realized that it had been much easier thinking of apologizing than actually doing it. He closed his eyes, concentrating.

"I do not wish to discuss anything further with you, Kurosaki Ichigo," said Byakuya. Ichigo's eyes snapped open, a pleading look in their chocolate brown depths. "I am going to contact Soul Society and have them remove me from this mission. It was a mistake on their part to assign me to babysit a teenager with no control and no manners. It is beneath me. I will not tolerate being reduced to having to hear your outbursts. It would be much better if the barbarian from the 11th Squad was made to monitor you, you two would be more suited to each other."

Ichigo cringed at the thought, he did not want to be called suitable for Kenpachi in any way. "But Byakuya, Kenpachi could not pull off being a high school student in any way." He hoped to lighten the mood.

"That is none of my concern. I am going to refuse to have anything to do with you. And until I have been pulled out of my mission, I will find another place to stay. Now get out of my sight." Byakuya replied, anger lining his voice.

"What? Surely you won't stay at Urahara shop? He'll give you hell and not respect you the way you are used to being respected!"

"And you did? Besides, I am not even thinking of staying with that demented shopkeeper. Do you think it's not possible for me to find lodgings elsewhere?"

_Of course, he'll probably rent the penthouse suite at the local five star hotel. _"But Byakuya, your stuff is still at my place."

"I'll order Renji to move my belongings to my new lodgings." Byakuya said, and then he turned around and started walking.

"Byakuya, wait!" Ichigo called out. He ran to cover the distance between them. He grabbed Byakuya's wrist and turned him around. "Wait, just, listen to me." He was not even embarrassed by how his voice cracked with that plea.

Byakuya glared at him and pulled his hand away, but Ichigo would not let go. "Kurosaki Ichigo, remove your hand from me. I told you I do not wish to have further discussion with you. Stop trying to remove the last of my patience." His voice was not as calm as usual, his rage was evident.

"Byakuya, I'm sorry!" Ichigo found himself saying. After a pause, he repeated, "I'm sorry."

Byakuya stopped trying to wrest his hand from him, and looked at him with a slightly puzzled expression.

Ichigo let go of Byakuya's wrist, looked straight into those stormy grey eyes, and continued. "I treated you in a horrible way. I said those things with the intention of hurting you. I wanted you to feel bad." Ichigo felt tears welling up inside him again. "Byakuya I didn't mean any of that, I promise I didn't! I shouldn't have talked like that."

Ichigo took a breath to compose himself.

Byakuya spoke up. "I have no intention of listening to your apology or giving it any thought. Do you think I care about anything you said to me? Did you not say so yourself, that I do not care about anything."

"Byakuya, I did not mean it. I know you're not the same on the inside as the cold image you portray on the outside. I know you care more than people know. I know that you are a man of honour, and I swear I look up to you for that. Yes, Byakuya, you'll probably never hear me admitting it again. But I owe you the truth, because of the lies I said to hurt you. I said those things knowing that they were untrue, but would get to you. They don't hate you Byakuya. The Gotei 13 hold you as the image of a role model for a reason. Renji truly admires everything about you. Rukia really loves you as her brother. I wouldn't say this stuff if I didn't know it."

Byakuya looked at him with a cold steely gaze. "Are you done? You have wasted enough of our time, I shall be leaving now."

"Leaving? Where? Aren't you coming home with me?"

"Are you deaf or stupid? I've already said I will not be staying with you and that I'll abort this mission. Do not make me repeat myself further."

"Byakuya, no, don't do this. I lost control of my emotions and acted inappropriately. I behaved badly. I admit it. And I'm apologizing. Please don't let my actions get in the way of your mission. I'm sorry, it will not happen again."

Byakuya just wanted to get as far from the boy as possible. There were strange feelings inside him from hearing this apology. Kuchiki Byakuya had been apologized to over a million times in his life. From cowering subordinates, respectful servants, to members of his clan who displeased him, officers of the Gotei 13 when they fell short of his standards. Renji, when he was late for work or when he made mistakes on missions, or when he was unsatisfactory at training. Rukia, apologizing countless times for disappointing him over things big and small.

Yet, all those apologies had been superficial to varying degrees. Apologies forced out of those people, because of his position of authority. Apologies offered because people feared him. But Ichigo's apology was unlike anything he had heard before. It was the most earnest, most honest, most compelling apology Byakuya had ever heard. The boy obviously meant every word he said right now.

Byakuya did not want to be swayed by that. He was known as one of the most merciless figures in the Seretei for a reason. Once he was wronged by someone, he never forgave them.

_Well, almost never..._Byakuya stood silently, the stubbornness inside him wanting to disregard the apology completely, even though it was the most authentic apology he had heard in centuries.

Byakuya's face was still unreadable. "Byakuya I'm going to snap out of apology mode soon, okay? Please just accept it and let's settle this like adults – it's my fault I acted like a child." On getting no reaction from the noble, Ichigo continued. "Damn it, Byakuya! Don't leave me with another captain! The rest of them are bigger freakshows and I was just getting used to having you around!"

Byakuya's eyes widened at this.

Ichigo's voice then lowered. "And Byakuya, thank you for saving my life. Your responsible and calm nature makes me even more ashamed of the childish way I acted around you."

This was by far the most mature thing Byakuya had heard Ichigo say. _And did he just thank me?_

The noble considered his next course of action.

"I'm sorry, Byakuya."

"Stop apologizing. Your repetition is giving me a headache."

"Then just accept my apology! And let's go home before you catch a cold from the rain and the headache gets worse."

"I am not going back home with you."

"Stop being so stubborn!"

"Stop being rude. Have you heard of manners?"

"No, maybe you should stay and teach me."

"You have as much potential of learning etiquette as Zaraki does of performing a tea ceremony."

"I already learned how to apologize. It's a promising start. Or are you going to back out on teaching me manners _and _back out on your mission because of me?"

For a while, they stood, looking at each other in what was practically a stare-down. Then Byakuya walked past Ichigo.

"Very well then. Let's go."

Ichigo found himself breaking into a smile as he joined Byakuya in heading back home in the rain.

* * *

><p>The rain refused to let up all the way until they got home. Carefully leaving their muddy shoes by the door, the two of them stepped into the house.<p>

"Great, we're completely wet and now we're going to drip all over the floor. I'll have to wipe that off later. Just head straight to the room." Ichigo grumbled, scowling at the wet footsteps they were leaving on the stairs. "Looks like the girls haven't returned yet. Too bad though, it rained on their picnic." Ichigo realized and immediately pushed the thought out of his mind – he was again alone in the house with Byakuya.

Byakuya did not seem to be listening, even if he was. Actually, he was observing the very wet Kurosaki Ichigo. His orange hair was limp from the water, pasted against the outline of his face. His skin was glistening under the light. His deep red tee-shirt was soaked and sticking to his body, displaying his perfectly proportioned figure in a very tempting manner. His jeans were wet too, and also clinging to his lower half. Byakuya had to admit he was quite the sight, that his attractiveness made it easy to forget that he was a human teenager. _His orange hair is so fascinating, so disturbingly beautiful._

Byakuya was just considering checking his inappropriate thoughts, when suddenly Ichigo took off his tee-shirt and dropped it to a corner of the room. Byakuya could not decide what was more intriguing – the way the boy's muscled but lean arms moved as he squirmed out of the tight clothing and extracted his orange head from it, or the end result of the action – a drenched, shirtless Ichigo, with his flawlessly shaped chest and abdomen, standing before him. "What are you doing?" Byakuya asked, eyeing the wet tee-shirt lying on the floor as though it was bothering him.

Ichigo ran a hand through his dripping orange locks and said, "We need to get out of these wet clothes fast before we make a bigger mess or get cold." He then blushed a little thinking of the words he just said to Byakuya, and turned his back to the Shinigami to make sure he didn't see it. Ichigo walked to the closet. "I'll get us some towels."

Byakuya now took in the sight of Ichigo's back. The inviting shoulder blades, the muscles moving as he opened the closet, the water still dripping down his back in an enticing path down to his – no, it was definitely inappropriate to allow himself to look at the Substitute Shinigami this way. The boy was a part of his mission. Someone he was interacting with for his work. He was a human, and still young. Byakuya was going to draw his eyes away.

But then, the boy bent down to reach the lower shelves in the closet.

Byakuya could not take his eyes off him. He did not want to take his eyes off him. And he could feel his temperature rising.

He was glad for his self-control in being able to keep his face devoid of any trace of what was on his mind, because the boy straightened up and turned around. "Here, what are you waiting for, dry yourself up!" Ichigo said, tossing Byakuya a towel.

Byakuya looked at him blankly, but Ichigo had the feeling he was planning something in his mind. The noble put the towel down, flipped back a few strands of his wet black hair in suave motion.

Then he began to take off his shirt.

Ichigo nearly gasped. Byakuya's gray eyes were still fixed on him expressionlessly, as his long fingers unbuttoned the practically transparent wet shirt slowly. Byakuya was deliberately taking one button at a time, very slowly. He felt that the boy had challenged him with the sight he had been treated to. He had every intention of throwing a return challenge.

Ichigo watched, unable to look away, as more and more of the pale skin of Byakuya's perfect chest was revealed, followed by his toned abdomen. There were drops of water running down his porcelain skin. His buttons were now undone. Byakuya then proceeded to take the shirt off his beautifully shaped shoulders, flicking out a few more drops of water as his hair now fell to his exposed neck and shoulders. Ichigo could now see his wet strong but beautiful arms, the subtle and flawlessly shaped muscles flexing as Byakuya threw the wet shirt to where his own tee-shirt was lying. Byakuya was wearing a pair of well-fitted dark jeans, which had been glued by the rainwater against his hips and legs, and Ichigo could not resist taking the entire sight in. _So sexy...what am I thinking, I should stop..._

Byakuya started to walk towards him. "What...What are you doing?" Ichigo asked, his voice not coming out as roughly as he would have liked.

"Didn't you say we should get out of our wet clothes before we made a mess?" Byakuya's deep voice said the words slowly, deliberately. The stunning man now pushed his wet bangs out of his face. The water droplets were flung in Ichigo's direction, a few sprinkling against him. Some of the other drops had fallen to Byakuya's dark eyelashes, and he blinked them away before setting his steely grey eyes back into Ichigo's now wide chocolate eyes. He was still walking towards him.

Ichigo stiffened as he realized Byakuya was only a couple of steps from him. He went back a step, but his back hit the closet. He felt his breathing quicken, and he willed himself to not blush, but in vain.

Byakuya was doing an excellent job of hiding his amusement. He had always had a sharp perception, and it did not go unnoticed by him that the boy often looked at him with desire he tried to hide. And the boy's reaction on hearing his sexual orientation had certainly not gone unnoticed.

Kurosaki Ichigo was the subject of his mission. A colleague. A human. Barely a young man. His sister's friend. Kuchiki Byakuya should not be using him as a source of amusement or a treat to his senses.

But right now, Byakuya did not care. It had been a bad day for him. He was not happy with his circumstances. He had to deal with a lot of anger and a lot of confusing feelings.

He was going to amuse himself with a bit of distraction. Of course, the responsible man in him drew the limit in his mind.

He was standing right in front of Ichigo now. Ichigo felt embarrassed at how fast his heart started to beat, hoping Byakuya could not hear it. But Byakuya looked down at his exposed chest for a second, but long enough to note his pounding heart and fast breathing, before returning that cold steel gaze to him. Ichigo felt like he could see a strange unfamiliar glint in those eyes.

If Byakuya took one more step forward, there would be no space between them.

Byakuya took a step forward.

Ichigo could feel the heat of Byakuya's body right up against his. He couldn't move. He could barely breathe, the noble's intoxicating smell incapacitating him more than ever. He could not take his eyes off that gorgeous face.

But the face left his vision as Byakuya – as Byakuya leaned to his ear!

"You are in my way. How will I get my clothes out of the closet?" Byakuya whispered in a dark and heavy tone of his deep voice, sending delicious vibrations into his ear and hot breath over his skin, the combined feeling reverberating through Ichigo's body. Ichigo found himself letting out something between a moan and a yelp, a very embarrassing sound at that. Then he tried to jump out of the way, but found himself getting even closer to Byakuya so he stopped moving.

Byakuya was looking down at him through his grey eyes, his delicate eyebrows raised questioningly, his face centimetres from Ichigo's. Ichigo's breath hitched again at the sight of his perfect features and wet silk of hair. One of Byakuya's hands was now resting against the closet, his arm trapping Ichigo.

"Byakuya, I..." Ichigo cursed himself for stammering. He blushed and looked down, only to meet the sight of Byakuya's perfect collarbones and toned chest – losing the ability to pry his eyes away, unable to hold back from letting his gaze climb downwards and swallow the sight of the half-naked wet noble while he was so close. _Wait, I was trying to say something..._Almost completely red now, he forced himself to be brave and look up at Byakuya's face. "I'm kind of stuck between you and the closet."

"Oh. Why didn't you say so?" Byakuya replied, a barely detectable hint of mischief in his voice as he lowered his arm and backed away slightly – but so little that Ichigo had to brush against him as he wriggled away.

The boy was blushing and breathing heavily. Byakuya could feel that his eyes were still on him, watching his back. _So, he likes the view? _Byakuya bent down to reach the lower shelves of the closet.

He heard Ichigo mutter a curse word and then rush out of the room.

Once the boy was away, Byakuya allowed himself a smile. Not many people knew this, but Kuchiki Byakuya smiled when he was being naughty.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **These couple of chapters were pretty difficult to write. Okay, I'll admit, writing the last bit was a lot of fun. I hope you enjoy reading it! Please review so that I know how you like it!

I know that both the characters acted somewhat OOC at some points, but I guess we all have those moments in life when we don't act exactly like ourselves. I'm not a big fan of OOC, but I hope the readers will take it well in the way I wrote it! Do let me know if it didn't work for the story.

**Next Chapter:  
>Fever<strong>

(Yes, I know what you're thinking. What can I say, writing this sort of stuff is addictive!)


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: **This is a very late update, sorry to keep my readers waiting. I had exams, and although Chapter 9 was complete a long time ago, I wanted to add 9 and 10 together because they are related. Hope you enjoy reading. Thanks for the reviews so far, they are so encouraging.

Keep 'em coming, so that I know how you like these next two chapters.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 9: Fever<strong>

That night, Ichigo had a hard time going to sleep. His head was buzzing with thoughts about the day. His reiatsu spinning out of control and disappearing. The near death situation. Being saved by Byakuya. Being rude to Byakuya. Apologizing to Byakuya. So many absurd incidents, all in one day.

Yet, not one of those compared to the last incident. Ichigo did not even know how to describe that in his head. _The incident with changing out of soaked clothes...yeah, that's what I'll call it. But what was Byakuya doing? Why did he pin me to the closet like that, and whisper into my ear? It almost seemed as though..._No, Ichigo pushed that thought out of his head. Surely, Kuchiki Byakuya would not come onto him. It did not make sense. It should not make sense. They can't stand each other, right?

Surely, his teenage hormones were blowing things out of proportion. _How can they not, the guy is drop dead gorgeous! That face. That body. _No, Ichigo definitely had to move those thoughts out of his head. He needed to sleep. He was going to forget that incident ever happened. Although mysteriously, right after that incident Ichigo's reiatsu had become restored to almost its previous level. Byakuya had quietly stated something about forming a new theory in re-establishing reiatsu but his voice had left the sentence hanging midway in a way Ichigo would just describe as evil.

It was a long time before Ichigo could get these thoughts out of his head and finally sleep. Which is why, he was incredibly pissed off when he suddenly awoke, not much later, in the middle of the night. He lay in bed, mentally cursing the world and his life, while trying to figure out what woke him. He found three things.

One, it was _freezing _cold. The temperature of the night had surely suddenly fallen, and he would have to get an extra blanket to keep his butt from freezing.

Two, there were strange sniffling and coughing noises in his room.

Three, Byakuya's reiatsu was feeling very, very weird. Ichigo sat up in bed, surprised. He had never felt something so strange in a Shinigami's reiatsu. It was an odd, sickening, out of place feeling – possibly even more so because it was mixed into Byakuya's powerful reiatsu. _I wonder what's going on._

As Ichigo's feet touched the floor when he was about to get out of bed, the cold of the surface felt like an electric shock. The weather was certainly acting up. As was Byakuya's reiatsu. _He must be freezing though, on the futon on this floor._

"Byakuya," called Ichigo. "Hey, Byakuya – wake up. Your reiatsu feels funny."

The noble just turned in his bed and made a few sniffling noises. Concerned, Ichigo got up and turned on the light. He nearly jumped at the sight of Byakuya, which was as strange as the Shinigami's current reiatsu. Byakuya was deathly pale, except an unhealthy flush across his nose and cheeks. Before Ichigo could say anything though, Byakuya's eyes shot open as he suddenly had a coughing fit. And then he sneezed.

Ichigo felt almost triumphant about seeing the noble do something so unsophisticated. But it was all a little worrying. _Stupid spoilt brat of a noble, he probably never has been out in the rain like that, and now he caught a cold. Serves him right for walking out angrily, arrogant snob. Oh wait...I threw him out._

"Byakuya, looks like you've fallen ill."

Byakuya gave a low sigh, held his head in his hands, and mumbled "My head hurts."

"Yeah, you've caught a cold. You can't sleep on the floor like this, it's as cold as ice right now. Come on, get up."

Byakuya did not respond, he looked dazed and unfocused. Ichigo wondered if Byakuya has ever been sick before in his life, because he was acting very strangely. Ichigo knelt next to the noble and reached for his arm. "I said, get up. You should sleep on the bed for now." But when his hand touched the noble's skin, Ichigo exclaimed in shock, "Shit, Byakuya, you're burning up with fever!"

Ichigo was quite alarmed by how high Byakuya's temperature was. And the Shinigami did not seem to be listening to what he was saying at all. "Okay, let's get you to bed, then I'll bring you some medicine," said Ichigo, pulling Byakuya up and gently dragging him to bed. The fact that the noble was not protesting or making cold remarks definitely meant that he was quite ill. Once Byakuya was lying in the bed, Ichigo covered him with the blanket and quickly went off to get a glass of water and the medicine.

It took a while to convince Byakuya to sit up and take the medicine, after which the noble just plopped back onto his pillow. And he fell asleep. Ichigo rolled his eyes, thinking, _Well, it did not take the spoilt brat long to get comfy taking over my bed!_

Ichigo realized it was still freezing cold, and he needed to get an extra blanket. As he came back with the blanket, he stopped in front of the bed.

_It's too cold to sleep on the floor. And there's only one extra blanket, which we both need. _Ichigo gulped, he would have to get into the bed with Byakuya. Two grown men fitting into a single bed was by no means a comfortable arrangement, but with the strange weather and Byakuya's fever, it seemed to be the only logical choice.

With a sigh, Ichigo gently pushed Byakuya to the side of the bed against the wall, because he was dead asleep and Ichigo was sure the head of the Kuchiki clan would not take kindly to waking up falling on his butt if one of them happened to fall off the bed from being crowded into the narrow space.

Then he got into bed, pulling the blanket over them. It was time to go back to sleep.

This time, however, it was even harder to fall asleep. It would be an understatement to say that Kurosaki Ichigo has by far, had strange experiences more than any other human. Yet, this was a newer and stranger experience than anything he has faced.

For the first time in his life, he was sharing a bed with a Shinigami. And not just any Shinigami, but the elite of Soul Society, the head of the noble Kuchiki clan, the Captain of the Sixth Division, the ruthless, powerful and sophisticated Kuchiki Byakuya. Rukia's brother.

Rukia's very _hot_ brother. _Oh no, no. I can't be thinking like that, not in this situation, _Ichigo warned himself. But he found himself turning his head to face Byakuya, and immediately, his breath was caught. Despite being ill, and asleep, Byakuya was stunning. His gorgeous face, surrounded by silky black hair, looked ethereally beautiful in the moonlight flowing in through the window. His mouth was slightly open and his chest rose and fell quickly as he breathed a little heavily due to his cold. _Wow. _Ichigo could not take his eyes off the sight. _For someone I can't stand, I've been staring at him a lot._

Yes, he couldn't stand Byakuya. That arrogant attitude. Those cold condescending remarks. The stiff behaviour. Ichigo simply found him annoying. It was even more annoying that he was so handsome. It had been annoying to see him soaked in the rain. It had been incredibly annoying when Byakuya had practically pinned him to the closet and whispered into his ear _so sexily._

_Damn it. _Ichigo suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable as his entire body heated up with those thoughts. It was bad enough being stuck with that arrogant noble for who knows how long. It was worse to find himself getting attracted to him. But the worst, by far, was having to lie in bed with him and feel this way. Ichigo felt infuriated and ashamed of himself.

He closed his eyes and turned on his side so that his back was to Byakuya. He tried to force his inappropriate thoughts out of his head, in an effort to calm down and fall asleep.

Just then, he felt Byakuya turning in his sleep, getting close to his back. Ichigo lay completely still, barely breathing.

Then, Byakuya draped an arm over Ichigo's front.

For a few seconds, Ichigo kept still, stunned. Byakuya's warm, feverish arm seemed to burn through his clothes. Byakuya was practically holding him in his sleep.

"Oh my God!" Ichigo's senses snapped back to him and he shot up in bed. He found himself breathing hard. He shot a glare at the unaware, sleeping noble. "You idiot, Byakuya. Just wait till you get better, I'll kick your ass again." He then pushed Byakuya back as far away from him as possible, near the wall. Then he lay back in bed, as far as he could, risking falling off the edge of the bed in his sleep. But even that was better than what just happened.

It was then that the sheer exhaustion of the very strange day finally overpowered his buzzing head, and Ichigo fell asleep.

* * *

><p>The morning sunlight pouring in through the window woke Byakuya long before Ichigo's alarm clock went off. But he felt his head still splitting with a headache, and his throat was sore. Byakuya kept his eyes shut, hoping to get a little more sleep because his body was feeling completely out of sorts. <em>Have I fallen ill? <em>It was very strange and unusual for him to fall ill. And as his sleep dissipated slowly, he realized there were more strange things going on. For one, he was not on his futon on his floor. He seemed to be lying in a bed, with extra blankets on him. There was another strange feeling too, of being cornered into a narrow space. What was he cornered by? In his sleepy daze, with his eyes still closed, Byakuya registered another strange feeling. Something soft was against his shoulder. Byakuya frowned, unable to fathom, in his half awake state, what had happened to land him in such strange circumstances overnight.

Then he felt a steady warm breath on his arm. Byakuya's eyes opened, sleepless now. He gulped and slightly turned his head, to find what was nuzzling against his shoulder was a head full of orange hair. Kurosaki Ichigo. _What. The. Hell?_

Shocked, Byakuya practically jumped into a sitting position, which threw the boy off him. This woke Ichigo up too. "Ow, Byakuya did you just push me?" He mumbled as he squinted into the morning sunlight. Then he caught sight of Byakuya, still extremely pale, hair slightly messy, with an expression of shock. The noble was glaring daggers at him.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, why are you in my bed?" Byakuya said, seething with anger, surprising them both with how hoarse his voice was.

"You're such an idiot, Byakuya. _You_, are in _my_ bed."

There was no reaction from Byakuya at being corrected. He continued to glare at Ichigo, looking downright appalled.

_Really now, is it so bad waking up in a bed with me?_ Ichigo was feeling pissed off by the noble again.

"Why am I in your bed? I recall sleeping on my futon on the floor." Byakuya said after trying to clear his throat.

"You don't remember? You fell ill last night and it was too cold to sleep on the floor," explained Ichigo. "Well you were pretty out of sorts and half asleep, I guess you can't recall that. Hey do you still have a fever?" Ichigo reached his hand out to touch Byakuya's forehead.

Byakuya slapped his hand away. "Don't you dare touch me, Kurosaki Ichigo."

"What the hell is wrong with you? I was just trying to check your temperature." Ichigo said angrily, glaring back. _Stuck up arrogant bastard! _It was obvious that Byakuya was still sick. His reiatsu still had that odd feel. His skin was pale, his eyes looked sunken. He had the closest equivalent Kuchiki Byakuya could have to bed hair.

"I do feel feverish. And I have a splitting headache, stop being so loud, you are making it worse," said Byakuya, frowning. He was feeling irked having to wake up in bed with Ichigo, who was currently looking at him with a mix of concern and anger in his deep brown eyes, his orange hair a mess and his clothes slightly disheveled. "Move." Ordered the captain. He wanted to get out of bed. Now.

Ichigo rolled his eyes, but complied. He gave Byakuya space to get out of the bed. He was alarmed when the noble swayed as he tried to stand up. Ichigo reflexly grabbed his arm. Byakuya held his head and sat back down on the bed. He let out something of a low groan.

"This is not good," stated Byakuya. "Why am I feeling so ill?"

"What, have you never been sick in your life?"

"I don't recall being very ill, except when I was gravely injured in battle. I've had slight colds and fevers a few times, the last time being around thirty years ago and I was alright by the next morning. It's alarming that a simple ailment can make me feel so ill."

"That's weird, Byakuya, everyone falls ill. A bad cold can make people quite weak. Or is it different with Shinigami or nobles?"

Byakuya considered his words. "No, it is strange that I should be so incapacitated by a slight illness. Unless..." His voice trailed off in a tone of dark alarm.

"Unless _what_?"

"Unless I have contracted human flu." Byakuya said gravely.

There was silence for a while, Ichigo a little taken aback at Byakuya speaking of human flu the way people speak of bird flu or swine flu. "Err...what?"

"Human flu. A strain of flu originating from humans, which can become dangerous if it affects Shinigami," explained Byakuya.

_Oh, it's like swine flu or bird flu, but for Shinigami. _"Well don't be so alarmed already. It could just be that you have a cold because you were out in the rain. And you are probably feeling more ill than you are used to, because you're in gigai." Ichigo offered a different theory.

Byakuya had a look of realization on his face. "Yes, it must be the gigai that is making me feel this way." He gingerly got up and reached for his Soul Candy dispenser. He then proceeded to turn back to his soul form, putting a Soul Candy in his gigai.

Ichigo watched, as a still very ill looking Byakuya stood in front of him in his Shinigami form, and an even more ill looking gigai practically doubling over and falling to the floor.

Byakuya frowned. He was still feeling terribly ill, despite getting out of the gigai – which was currently occupied by a Soul Candy unable to tolerate the illness. This meant, Byakuya was really sick. It wasn't just due to being in the gigai. It couldn't be avoided by staying out of it.

Uncharacteristically, he let out a sigh of disappointment, before reverting to his stoic nature and calmly shifting back to the gigai. "It seems your theory was incorrect. I'm ill no matter what form I am in." He then went to the closet to take out his school uniform.

"Oh, that sucks," replied Ichigo, and then he noticed what Byakuya was doing. "Hey, you can't possibly be thinking of going to school with me! You're ill."

Byakuya gave him a look of irritation. "I am not going to let a mere illness stop me from doing my work for my mission. I have to monitor your instability." His haughty words lost some of their effect for they were followed by a fit of coughing. Recovering his gracefulness, Byakuya then left the room to get ready for school.

"Whatever, do as you wish!" Ichigo snapped to his back. Byakuya did not turn or reply. _Being sick doesn't change his attitude! This guy is such a pain in my ass._Ichigo went off to get ready for school too.

Of course, the day at school was going downhill for Ichigo as soon as it started. First, there were looks and hushed voices at Byakuya's strange appearance – he was alternately flushing and going completely pale, he was sniffling and coughing, and his usually smooth voice was sounding hoarse. By the third class, Ichigo realized Byakuya's reiatsu was feeling even more odd, and then he noticed the noble was doing something very unlike himself and hunching forwards onto his table. Kuchiki Byakuya must be really sick to lose his straight graceful posture. Soon, Byakuya had his head on the table, sighing. The entire class was looking at their direction now.

The teacher looked concerned. "Kuchiki you seem to have fallen quite ill. You can't stay in class like this, pack your things and go home. ...Kuchiki?" Byakuya did not raise his head. Ichigo stood up from his seat and went to stand next to Byakuya.

"Hey, Byakuya, get up. You heard what the teacher said." He said, helping Byakuya up.

"It's alright, I can continue classes," said Byakuya stubbornly.

"No, I'm not going to allow it," came the teacher's stern voice. "Letting you stay is against both your interest and that of the rest of the class. Kurosaki, I'm giving you permission to leave too, take him to the school nurse and then home. Get him to rest until he is well enough to return to school."

"Yes, ma'm," replied Ichigo. "Come on, Byakuya." He practically dragged the Shinigami out of his chair.

When they got home, Byakuya collapsed onto the living room couch, his natural grace practically lost. Ichigo could not believe he now had to babysit a sick noble. Annoyed, he told Byakuya, "Hey get up, and go straight to bed."

Byakuya buried his head into the cushions and mumbled "I don't want to be in your bed."

"I'm not going to be in bed with you now! You need to rest. You're too tall to fit in the couch. Get up."

There was no response from Byakuya.

"Wait, you're feeling too weak to reach the bedroom, aren't you?" Ichigo said as he realized what was going on with the proud noble.

"No, how dare you call me weak? Now leave me alone."

"Stop _whining._" Ichigo pulled Byakuya out of the couch, while the noble weakly tried to push him away. "You are so annoying, you know that?"

"I said, leave me alone."

"First you get to bed, and take some more medicine for your fever. Then I'll leave you alone." Ichigo felt his patience disappearing. He somehow managed to get Byakuya to walk upstairs on an unsteady gait, with Ichigo's support. Byakuya crashed to the bed, still in his uniform, groaning.

Sighing in exasperation, Ichigo covered Byakuya with the blanket. _What did I do to deserve this? Can't he just go back to Soul Society and have his sister, subordinates and servants fawn over him?_

Byakuya had fallen asleep. Ichigo realized he had not taken his medicine, in fact the Shinigami had not eaten anything all day, skipping breakfast because he felt sick (much to Yuzu and Karin's concern). _That can't be good._

Despite his anger and annoyance, Ichigo felt concerned, and he went downstairs to arrange for Byakuya's food and medicine.

Fortunately when he came back upstairs with a tray in hand, Byakuya was awake, gazing forlornly at the ceiling. "Oh good, you're up. I made you some chicken soup. Have some of that and then take your medicine, you'll feel better."

Byakuya's eyes widened. "_You_ made soup?"

"Yes, Byakuya, I know a bit of cooking and I'm quite good at it!" said Ichigo, gently pulling Byakuya to sit up in bed. The Shinigami did not need to know he had prepared instant soup out of a packet. Soup was soup.

"I doubt it is safe for consumption even by the healthy."

"For someone who's sick and in my bed, you sure have a smartass attitude!" snapped Ichigo. "Now shut up and eat or you'll get even more sick!"

"I can't eat. I feel ill." Byakuya turned his face away like a child.

Ichigo knew a challenge when he saw one. He was going to make Byakuya have the soup. "You haven't eaten anything all day, you'll make yourself weak. And the hot soup is good for your cold! Eat up before it gets cold." He said, holding up the bowl of soup in front of Byakuya.

"No."

"Why not?"

"I don't want to. And how do I know you didn't poison it?"

"Thanks for the idea. But if I want to kill you I can do that with my sword, I don't have to poison you. Stop changing the topic."

"Go away."

"Stop being so stubborn!"

"I'm not stubborn. I'm sick."

"Are you going to have it yourself or will I have to force you to?"

"_What_?" Byakuya asked, incredulous.

"Have the soup." Ichigo handed the bowl to Byakuya. The noble just stared at the contents of the bowl. Then he turned his face away again.

"Alright, I see you've made your choice." Said Ichigo, picking up a spoonful of soup and forcing it into the unsuspecting noble's mouth. Byakuya nearly choked on the soup in shock. _Did the boy just dare to force-feed Kuchiki Byakuya?_

"What are you doing?" He asked, in the same voice he uses when he releases bankai.

"Feeding you soup, because you are incapable of having it yourself," came the reply. He held another spoonful of soup in front of Byakuya's mouth, but this time he refused to open it. Ichigo felt annoyed. "Byakuya, open your mouth and take the spoonful of soup." He ordered like one would do to a child.

Byakuya's irritation was suddenly replaced by something else. His glare softened. He took the spoon in his hand and had a bit of the soup. Then he sat silently, looking at the wall in front of him.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, why are you doing this?"

"Because you haven't eaten all day and it will make you -" Ichigo was cut off.

"That is not what I meant." Byakuya paused. "Why are you taking care of me? You hate me. Right?"

Ichigo sat stunned. _I hate him?_ Something did not feel right. "Of course I hate you." He heard himself saying.

Byakuya felt those words make his heart sink a little. He ignored that feeling. "I hate you too, you insolent brat. But why are you looking after me when I'm ill?"

_He hates me? Of course he does..._"Because..." Ichigo could not find an explanation. "..,Because Rukia will kill me if she finds out her dear Nii-sama was ill and I didn't look after him. And my sisters will kill me if they find out I was discourteous to our guest. Okay? Now shut up, and eat!"

For a while they sat, in a silent showdown between Byakuya's trademark glare and Ichigo's trademark scowl.

Then Byakuya proceeded to finish the soup, in silence. He felt a strange warmth inside him, which he doubted was due to the soup. The Kurosaki boy just said he hated him. Yet, he was looking after him. Byakuya has been tended to by others at times. By the fourth squad when he was injured. By his servants on those rare days he was ill. They had all been dedicated, despite serving him out of duty. However, this was completely a different feeling. The way Kurosaki Ichigo was tending to him. It wasn't out of duty or obligation, it wasn't a professional dedication or an act of respect. Despite his hurried explanation about it being for their sisters, Byakuya knew the boy was not doing it for others, but from his own heart. It felt like he was _caring _for Byakuya.

Byakuya felt his chest growing heavy, and it was not because of the cold.

Ichigo was watching him finish the soup.

"I am surprised, Kurosaki Ichigo. The soup was very delicious."

Suddenly, Ichigo's scowl was replaced by a very bright smile. "Really? When you get better, I'll teach you how to make it."

"Kurosaki Ichigo, do you also know how to make tea?"

"Don't push it, Byakuya."

* * *

><p><strong>Next Chapter: Recovery, Role Reversal and Regret<strong>


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Recovery, Role Reversal and Regret  
><strong>

Ichigo was downstairs watching tv, when he heard Byakuya's hollow sensor beeping up in the bedroom. By the time he reached upstairs, he found Byakuya had not only woken up from his nap, but was in his Shinigami form, about to head out.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to go off to kill hollows in your state of health?" asked Ichigo.

"Don't be ridiculous. You are mistaken if you think a flu will make me incapable of fighting hollows, that too of such a low level." Byakuya replied coldly, although he was feeling light headed and weak. But not enough to keep him from his work. He gracefully took off through the window in a flash.

Ichigo frowned, then turned into his Shinigami form too. "Look after ...that thing." He said to Kon in his body, pointing to Byakuya's gigai looking very ill as it lay in the bed with an unfortunate Soul Candy trapped inside the sick faux body. Then he went off after Byakuya, he did not know why but he was feeling uncomfortable about having a sick Kuchiki out in Karakura town.

"Why are you following me?" Byakuya asked menacingly when Ichigo caught up with him. They were in the outskirts of the towns, a slightly hilly open area.

"Well I thought you might faint or something, your spoilt noble highness," mocked Ichigo. "If you do I can carry you home princess style."

_The insolence!_ Byakuya raised his reiatsu in warning and said, "If I'm not mistaken, you were the one who fainted last time and needed to be carried home. Why are you risking being in this form and close to hollows again after that incident? Your flawed judgement is truly pitiful."

"I'm going to lose my powers soon, and so I'd like being in my Shinigami form sometimes until that happens. It's none of your business, Byakuya."

"Fine, then. If you lose control or collapse, I will leave you like that."

Ichigo flash stepped so that he was in front of the noble who had been talking with his back to him this entire time. He put on a mocking grin and said, "No you won't. You have orders to follow, Kuchiki Taichou."

The boy was obviously trying to rile him, and unfortunately it was working. Byakuya felt a vein throbbing in his already aching head. "Get out of my way you impertinent brat." He flash stepped past Ichigo, seeing the hollow not so far away now.

With a swish of black and white robes and a glint from his sword for the miniscule moments for which it was unsheathed, the hollow's existence was wiped off.

Fortunately for Ichigo, he was one of the few who could actually watch Byakuya's movements, and it was an amazing sight each time. He would not admit it aloud, but the man's class and power were mesmerizing. Without knowing so, a smile broke out on Ichigo's lips.

Byakuya was in a bad mood. He could not remember the last time he had felt so ill, but he had to get out of bed to kill a hollow that was less significant than dust under his shoes. He was Kuchiki Byakuya, head of the Kuchiki clan, Captain of the Sixth Division of Gotei 13. And now he had to lower himself to this menial task of killing lowly hollow. It was all that brat Kurosaki Ichigo's fault. To make it worse, the boy seemed to be smirking at him.

Ichigo was taken by surprise as he suddenly found Senbonzakura's blade pointing at his throat, centimetres from his skin. Byakuya was glaring at him in a formidable way, and when he spoke, his voice dripped with murderous intent. "Is something amusing you, Kurosaki Ichigo? Perhaps you would like to hear a joke? Do you know that I can slash your throat right now, leave you to die, and make the Gotei 13 believe it was an accident while killing hollows? Funny, isn't it?"

Ichigo forced a nervous chuckle and said, "That was really bad, Byakuya, your sense of humour needs a lot of work."

Byakuya's glare stepped up a notch, and he brought the blade of his sword to nearly graze Ichigo's skin.

The pure ruthless look of a killer in Byakuya's cold grey eyes chilled Ichigo, and the threatening sword poised to tear him apart was certainly not a joke. The imminent act of cruelty was very real. Reflexly, Ichigo took a step back, forgetting that he had been standing at the edge of a small hill.

"Whoa!" He exclaimed as the foot he was retreating with met air and he lost balance, falling back. In an act of self protection, he grabbed the front of Byakuya's robes without thinking.

Byakuya would definitely blame his fever for his uncharacteristic inability to keep his own balance then, as Ichigo's weight pulled him off the edge of the hill too. Or maybe it was the fact that he had to divert his control to keeping his sword from really piercing the boy as the idiot suddenly grabbed him.

Whatever the cause, they were both tumbling down the side of the low hill, falling to the flat ground below. Fortunately, it was not steep or high, so the fall was not painful. Just embarrassing.

With a dull thump of their bodies meeting the ground and a clink as Senbonzakura fell nearby, they landed on the ground below, and Ichigo once again found himself pinned underneath Byakuya, the noble's weight suffocating him.

Flustered, Byakuya managed to raise himself on his arms a little, glaring at the orange haired boy currently lying beneath him and looking up with wide brown eyes.

"You idiot, why did you pull me down with you while you were falling?" Byakuya still sounded murderous.

"Why did you fall down with me? I grabbed you to get some support!" Ichigo was trying to fight the blush spreading over his face now. "You can get off me now, you know!"

"Well, you can let go of my clothes." Byakuya said, moving his glare to the boys hands tightly clenching his shihakusho and haori.

A breeze fluttered by, blowing through Byakuya's silky black hair, making his bangs flutter around his face. Ichigo found himself staring at that sight so close above his face, knowing he was phasing out. And then, the breeze made the end of Byakuya's scarf brush along his cheek. This time, a full blown blush spread across Ichigo.

Byakuya kept still, confused, at why the boy was acting so strange and still not letting go of that tight grip on his clothes. Ichigo seemed to be in a trance, like his mind had been taken to some other dimension.

Speaking of other dimensions, suddenly there were two arrivals from Soul Society, standing metres from them.

_Not again._ That same thought was on the mind of Byakuya and Ichigo when they sensed Rukia. The same thought was on Rukia's mind as she and Hanatorou stood in shock and embarrassment, arriving to find her brother lying over a blushing Ichigo clutching his clothes, again.

_What the hell is going on?_ She wondered. _And at least last time, they were in a room!_ _Oh God, what am I thinking? There's surely a logical explanation for this like last time._

Byakuya stood up, back straight and chin lifted slightly in arrogance, a picture of pure sophistication belying the fact that he had taken an unceremonious tumble down the hill a little while ago and then spent a minute or so lying on top of Kurosaki Ichigo. "Rukia." It was more of acknowledging his sister's presence than a greeting, but Rukia was used to it.

Ichigo had scrambled to his feet too. "Hey, Rukia! Hanatarou! What brings you guys here?" He greeted, still red in the face. "Ermmm...And that was not what it looked like. We just fell off the hill."

_My brother, falling off a hill?_ _I guess the Twelfth Division was right then!_

"Rukia, why have you been sent here?" Byakuya's cold voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Nii-sama, the Twelfth Division reported some changes in your reiatsu that could mean that you are ill. The Soutaichou sent me here with the seventh seat of the Fourth Division because he thought you would never report it yourself if you were ill."

There was silence in reply.

_The Old Man is head captain for a reason_, thought Ichigo.

"Nii-sama, are you alright?" Rukia asked, a bit of concern seeping into her voice which had been all business-like by now.

"No, he's not. He's been moping around with a bad cold and a high fever since last night." Ichigo said, since Byakuya did not seem inclined to talking.

"Kuchiki Taichou, what are your symptoms? And how are you feeling now?" Hanatarou, the healer from the Fourth Squad, spoke up.

Byakuya frowned. "I think...it may be a case of human flu." He said.

"What?" Hanatarou and Rukia exclaimed in unison, going pale. Ichigo sighed. Apparently, this _human flu _was a matter of great alarm for Shinigami.

"Oh Nii-sama! Are you okay?" continued Rukia. The adulation in her voice could make Ichigo gag. "And why didn't you contact Soul Society about it immediately? Do you not know that is dangerous?" Rukia stopped herself when she realized she had just dared to nearly scold her brother.

Byakuya glared at her now, the first time he looked at her since she arrived. His bad mood was getting worse. "Rukia, do not forget who you are talking to. And I would have informed them if I thought it was necessary."

"Forgive me, Nii-sama," she said in a low voice. "Please give Hanatarou permission to check you up and treat you."

All this attention to Byakuya was pissing Ichigo off. He went and sat down leaning against a tree nearby, watching as Hanatarou proceeded with his work and Rukia sat looking like a sycophant next to her brother.

He looked away though, when Hanatarou took out syringes and gave Byakuya a couple of shots, while the noble's face continued to stay completely impassive. Ichigo would not tell anyone, but he did not like needles.

* * *

><p>With the treatment from Soul Society, Byakuya was a lot better by the next day. But it was Ichigo who woke up with a headache and sore throat. "Byakuya, you idiot. You gave me your flu." He said between sniffles. There was no reply, of course. Byakuya simply picked up his schoolbag and walked out of the room. Ichigo followed, cursing the arrogant noble.<p>

Halfway through school, he realized he was coming down with a fever. The teacher gave a frustrated sigh and as the bell for lunch break rang, she said, "Kurosaki, you seem to have fallen ill too. Kuchiki, I'm giving the two of you leave for the day. The fact that he caught your illness means you are both contagious, and I have to take the other students' health into consideration. You boys get well soon, and don't rush to get back to school until you're better."

While Byakuya was displeased at being labeled contagious, Ichigo was extremely thankful to the teacher for letting him off for the day. He was feeling miserable and weak, his temperature and headache both rising. He longed to be in bed as soon as possible. He got up to head out of the classroom, but everything in front of his eyes swayed and went blurry. He realized he was about to fall over and blindly reached for support, eyes closed because he was dizzy.

A pair of strong arms broke his fall. Without looking up, he knew who it was. Byakuya. Ichigo tried to free himself from him.

"Get up and stand straight, Kurosaki Ichigo. You should be getting home now," the deep voice told him as the strong arms pushed him so that he was standing up.

As they walked out of the school building onto the grounds, though, Ichigo started feeling dizzy again and sat down on the concrete path.

"Byakuya, can you please get me some water from the vending machine?" He requested, not in a state to care about having to ask the arrogant Shinigami for help, or even in a state to feel surprised when Byakuya went off to grant his request without any protest.

Ichigo sat on the ground, holding his aching head in his hands, the world around him spinning in waves of nausea. Suddenly, he noticed a number of feet around him. Looking up, he let out a groan of annoyance.

"Oh look, it's Kurosaki, and he's acting like a total wimp." Sniggered the leader of Karakura High School's gang of self styled punks. The same gang that had a bad history with Ichigo, dating back years. They picked a fight with him over everything including the colour of his hair, but Ichigo had not once, but many times beaten the crap out of them and put them in their place. They were the last people he wanted to see now. And the huge repulsive gang leader was getting too close to his personal space.

"Look you guys, I'm not having a good day and don't wish to be anywhere around you. Get lost!" He said hoarsely.

The gang members let out a chorus of laughter. "What's wrong? Scared we're going to kick your ass?"

"Like you _can_," Ichigo said in a warning tone, as he got to his feet. But the flu induced weakness got the better of him and he swayed.

"Look at the orange haired freak, he can barely stand and he's talking back to us," the nearest punk said as he shoved Ichigo on his chest. Ichigo took a step back, trying to keep his balance.

Since it was lunch time, quite a few of the students were around on the school grounds, but they watched from a distance, not wanting to mess with the infamous gang or with Ichigo.

Pleased that Ichigo was not even trying to hit back, and almost falling over, the delinquent readied his fist to hit him hard to avenge all the times their group was handed their asses by him.

But suddenly, a numbing pain ran through his fisted arm followed by it getting twisted behind his body so painfully that he cried out in pain and fell to his knees.

"What are you doing?" A cold deep voice asked from behind him.

Still unable to move his arm, he looked around. The entire gang looked in that direction too, flabbergasted. It was the new boy at school, the transfer student, Kuchiki, who had just incapacitated the gang member's arm. And he was standing there with a dangerous glare in his eyes.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? You're the rich pretty boy who transferred to this school aren't you? What an idiot! You don't know who you're messing with. We are the most dangerous gang in this school, and you're going to pay badly for what you just did to our friend!" The leader of the gang yelled at Byakuya.

"You have not answered my question, and you are in my way. Remove yourselves from here." Byakuya said calmly.

"What? Who do you think you are! You look like someone who grew up in a sea of money and never had to deal with the real world. We're going to teach you a lesson today!" The leader cracked his knuckles audibly. "So if you have any more _questions_, ask them now before we break your perfect jaw!"

"Yes, I have a question. Have you no pride? You are attacking Kurosaki Ichigo when you can see that he is ill, because you know you would not stand a chance against him when he is well." Byakuya's icy words were as sharp as blades.

The leader let out a string of profanities, (Byakuya was from too refined an upbringing to be able to comprehend even a third of those, despite his familiarity with Zaraki Taichou's vocabulary), and he lunged forward violently to attack Byakuya.

Ichigo had a split second to get concerned – Byakuya was formidable with his sword and kido spells, but out here where he could use neither, this was bad news. But before he could even complete that thought, the gang leader was thrown several metres away with few loud cracking noises. Byakuya stood completely unharmed.

Ichigo's mouth hung open, as did those of all other bystanders. In a barely traceable and extremely skilled martial arts move, Byakuya had overpowered the bulky gang leader, without visible effort.

A few moments of silence prevailed, as everyone tried to grasp what had just happened. The gang leader tried to get up but groaned in pain, letting out a few more curse words in a trembling voice and saying, "What the hell? What do you think you're doing?"

The gang members were furious now, and surrounded Byakuya. "I have already said you are in my way. Do not make me repeat myself." Byakuya stated expressionlessly, eyes nearly closed in indifference.

"How dare you do that to our leader? We're going to beat you to pulp today Kuchiki!"

This was getting out of hand, Ichigo knew he had to do something. "That's enough! Get the hell out of here you guys."

"We'll deal with you later Kurosaki," the gang members spat spitefully, "Right now we're going to give your handsome rich friend here a lesson on what happens when you mess with us."

Three of the gang members attacked Byakuya all at once. Before Ichigo could even move in reaction, Byakuya not only counteracted all of them but landed effortless, accurate hits that made each of them fall in pain. All through that, he appeared sophisticated and graceful, his moves as smooth as they were deadly.

The gang leader, still on the ground, watched in dismay as his gang of oversized violent schoolboys was outdone by one picture-perfect transfer student who looked like he had never been in a fight in his life.

Two more gang members who had so far not approached Byakuya, stood in confusion over what to do next. They were infuriated, and avenging this behaviour against their friends was what should be the priority. But the Kuchiki boy was demonstrating an insanely good skill at martial arts, completely unexpected from his appearance and demeanor. And the blows their friends had suffered were obviously extremely strong and dangerous ones.

"Are you going to continue being in our way?" Kuchiki's cold voice cut through their dilemma. He then glared at them, and they could swear they were chilled to the core by the ruthlessness in those grey eyes. There was no mistaking it that he was dangerous.

The last two gang members instinctively turned around and ran away as fast as they could, not even caring to look back at their friends who were writhing in pain and shame on the school grounds.

Ichigo stood in shock. He was trained in martial arts himself from a young age, and he had seen many skilled fighters. In Soul Society, he knew Hakuda or hand-to-hand fighting was an established fighting style but not as popularly used as fighting by swords. But he had never expected such a level of skill and strength in this form of fighting, from _Kuchiki Byakuya. _Byakuya had not even raised his reiatsu, it was only his own physical strength and dexterous moves which had single handedly taken down the gang.

The grace and poise while he did that, was unnervingly admirable. Byakuya had set down the water bottle next to his feet before he had struck the gang leader. The bottle still lay, undisturbed, on the same spot. Ichigo was staring at it, when Byakuya picked it up and handed it to him. "You asked for water," he reminded, and started walking.

"Thanks. And I didn't know you could fight like that...," said Ichigo as he started walking beside him.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, I was trained to be the ideal Shinigami. Just because this style of fighting is not one I prefer, it does not mean I will perform at it with anything short of excelling."

Ichigo rolled his eyes as the famous Kuchiki ego was back on air.

Ichigo and Byakuya were heading back home, but the whole school was now buzzing with the news of what had just happened. The Kuchiki boy was not only intimidating in personality, but was an expert in martial arts and unbelievably strong – he had single handedly countered the most violent gang in school without as much as breaking a sweat. That too, in defence of Kurosaki, whom he treated with such coldness all the time. This Kuchiki Byakuya was becoming even more of a scary and mysterious figure now.

And of course, other than the general student body, the gang of delinquents were reduced to shame and were nowhere to be seen the next few days, as they reeled in shock over being so utterly defeated by one well-bred boy.

The rest of the day was a daze for Ichigo, who was in bed most of the time flanked by a box of tissues, as he lay completely weakened by the fever. He felt terribly guilty, seeing his sisters' worried faces as they stayed near his bedside, tending to him. He felt angry at himself for making them worry this way. And when he looked at Byakuya, sitting at the table not far from his bed but never sparing a glance in his direction as he kept himself engaged with his work, he wasn't sure what it was that he felt but it was a lot like anger. Except that it made him feel cold in a way that had nothing to do with his illness.

He almost regretted being so nice to the snob when he had been ill. Which made him feel even more guilty.

After a few failed attempts by Yuzu and Karin to get him to eat some dinner, he told them he simply felt too ill too eat and that they should go to bed since they had school the next day. His fever seemed to have let off a little, but his headache was still quite bad, and his body was limp with drowsiness. Though he had napped on and off the whole day, he felt he needed to sleep now. The girls covered him with the blanket and said goodnight to him and then to Byakuya, and left.

Ichigo felt so alone, in that room with the cold Kuchiki Byakuya.

A wave of distaste washed over his weak body, he closed his eyes so that he didn't have to see that arrogant noble Shinigami he was stuck with. His body gave in and he fell asleep.

Byakuya allowed himself a low inaudible sigh as he got into his futon on the floor. He had felt awkward and out of place the whole day as Kurosaki Ichigo lay ill in bed and his sisters looked after him. Even in his illness, the boy had been directing filthy glares in his direction. As Byakuya lay in bed, sleep seemed to evade him. Something did not feel right. Of course, nothing was right about being stuck in this mission in the world of humans, having to be thrown into the Kurosaki household where he did not belong. He closed his eyes and tried again to fall asleep. Orders were orders, Kuchiki Byakuya would not complain.

His sleep was not deep however, and he found himself waking up as he heard Ichigo thrashing around on the bed in the middle of the night. Byakuya sat up, looking over at Ichigo wondering what was wrong. The boy seemed restless in his sleep, he had thrown off the blanket from his body and was groaning in a sick voice. He was either feeling very ill or having nightmares.

Byakuya walked over to the bed. "Kurosaki Ichigo."

There was no response.

Byakuya reached to check the boy's temperature, and was quite shocked at how his skin was burning in fever. The temperature suddenly rising was what probably sent him into this state.

Byakuya stood, wondering what to do in this unexpected situation. He had intentionally kept himself detached from the Kurosakis the whole day. Not many, if anyone at all, knew this about him but Kuchiki Byakuya was extremely distressed by seeing people suffering in illness. It was the closest thing he felt to fear.

He heard the Kurosaki siblings discussing after Ichigo's last dose of medicine that he was not to take another one for at least a few more hours. Perhaps he should inform the girls of their brother's condition. But it did not seem right to wake the children up for something like this in the middle of the night.

He would have to handle it himself. After all, his age was in three figures, and this was not his first time tending to someone ill. He pushed that last thought out of his head forcefully, as he fetched a bowl of water and a towel.

He then sat down next to Ichigo on the bed, dipped the towel in the water and sponged the boy's arms and face to lower his temperature.

Byakuya went on with his actions calmly now, after he had settled the instability in his mind. He patiently repeated the process after a while, quietly and slowly so that Ichigo was not disturbed in his sleep. Though it had lessened, the boy was still restless.

Byakuya stopped when he heard Ichigo mumbling something. Had he woken up? Looking at his face though, Byakuya found him still asleep but with a pained expression on his face. _He must be delirious with the fever, if he's talking in his sleep!_

Byakuya's feeling of uneasiness returned. Illness was an adversary he could not cut with his sword, abolish through his power, or take down with his wealth. It could take away people from right in front of his eyes, and he could do nothing but watch helplessly.

Ichigo mumbled a few more words. Byakuya leaned in closer to his face, to catch what he was saying.

"...Okaasan..." _(1)_

Byakuya's eyes widened. Kurosaki Ichigo was calling out to his mother in his illness and sleep.

And the tone of his voice carried a familiar pain. The pain of losing someone you love.

Instinctively, Byakuya's hand moved to Ichigo's head to pet his hair. But as soon as his cold fingers touched the orange tips, he recoiled in realization. _What am I doing? What is wrong with me?_

_...When did I drop my guard. These feelings – how disgraceful, Kuchiki Byakuya._

His heart was heavy now, but Byakuya summoned his centuries old control over his emotions, willing his cold facade back on. He needed to calm down, he needed to stop feeling bad for Ichigo, he needed to stop thinking of his own painful memories.

Most of all, he needed to continue the job at hand, looking after Ichigo.

This was part of his mission after all. This was another one of the obligations of his position.

That was what he continued to convince himself although he knew if he thought through this any deeper it would probably turn out that tending to the Substitute Shinigami's illness was not part of his current duties.

* * *

><p>Ichigo woke up, his eyes were still closed but he could feel his aching head and he seemed to have a slight fever. From the quietness around he could tell it was still the middle of the night. And it seemed someone was sitting by his head on the bed.<p>

Ichigo frowned, his eyes still closed, at the thought that Yuzu or Karin had to get up in the middle of the night for him.

He opened his eyes slowly. And he found himself looking up at the sleeping face of Kuchiki Byakuya.

Ichigo was confused now. Byakuya was sitting at the head end of his bed, and was asleep leaning against the headboard as though he had fallen asleep without meaning to. In his hand was a damp towel, and by the bed there was a bowl of water. Ichigo could feel that the hair lining his forehead was damp, and his skin felt a little damp too. It seemed Byakuya had been sponging him with that towel. But it made no sense.

Ichigo was thinking of any other explanations, as he kept looking up at that face, feeling comfort in the calmness it radiated. The fact that he was sleeping, and the mixed light of the moon and street lamp streaming through the windows, made his pale skin and refined perfect features take on a softer look. Had Byakuya been taking care of him?

Then, suddenly, Byakuya's eyes started opening. There was confusion in their grey depths, as though he was trying to remember where he was. The cruel cold hearted look was not on yet. Ichigo kept looking at those eyes, at that new expression in them, which almost resembled gentleness.

Byakuya woke up to find he had fallen asleep leaning on the headboard, and that Kurosaki Ichigo was staring up at him with wide brown questioning eyes. For a while they kept still, stormy grey eyes locked into curious brown ones.

Then Ichigo became aware of the silence and felt he should ask Byakuya something, and tried to decide how to word his question.

But before he could say anything, the coldness was back in Byakuya's eyes. Byakuya got up and in complete silence he put the towel away, and went back to his futon on the floor where he lay with his back to Ichigo.

The first light of dawn was starting to appear, as Ichigo tried to figure out what was happening, and why he felt pain and cold, but soon he fell asleep again too, curling up under his blanket.

When he woke up again, the strong sunlight and a look at the clock told him it was already quite late in the morning. On his table lay a tray with his breakfast. Karin and Yuzu were in school by now, and though he was not in his room, Ichigo could sense Byakuya's reiatsu still in his house.

Ichigo sat up in bed, rubbing his eyes. His fever seemed to have gone down, but the cold was making his head feel heavy. It was past time for his next dose of medicine, so he started getting out of bed. That was when something caught his eye. Byakuya's travel bag had not been completely closed, and there was a corner of a photo frame peeking out of it.

Curiosity stepping in before sense did, Ichigo reached out and took it out, finding it strange that Byakuya would carry a photograph. When he first looked at, Ichigo was surprised and amused – Rukia? _Byakuya doesn't seem like the kind of guy to carry his sister's picture while he's away from home_. But it didn't take longer than a couple of seconds to realizethat although the woman in the picture had a striking resemblance to Rukia, she was still very different. _Wait, this must be..._

"Why have you touched my belongings?"

Byakuya's voice was dripping with cold rage, the same voice he used when he was about to kill someone. He was standing at the door to the bedroom.

"Byakuya...I...I didn't mean to..." Ichigo suddenly felt cornered under that incinerating glare and the enraged swell of Byakuya's reiatsu. Byakuya was evidently very, very angry.

"Get your filthy hands off that picture!" Byakuya raised his voice now, unable to contain his rage any more. He snatched the photo frame from Ichigo's hands.

Byakuya's voice becoming louder, and the sudden movement, snapped Ichigo back to himself, and he felt angry at being addressed this way. _Filthy?_

"Stop acting like a jerk Byakuya. There's nothing wrong with carrying the picture of someone you love. I'm not going to judge you for it or something!"

Byakuya's reiatsu was raised even further, this was infuriating, this human talking about people Byakuya loved. He had no right to venture into what he was talking about.

"How dare you? Someone of your level has no right to comment on my personal life."

"My _level_? Stop thinking of yourself as my superior!"

"I am superior to you, you are nothing but an uncouth brat who doesn't know how to respect someone's privacy."

"You have invaded my privacy and every inch of my peaceful life with this stupid mission of yours!" Ichigo retaliated.

"I do not recall handling your personal belongings."

"You know, every time I attempt to think you're nicer than you act on the outside, you prove you're nothing but an asshole."

Ichigo was feeling something more than anger now. Regret. Regret over actually being nice to someone like Byakuya, who was a heartless snob who would never stop looking down upon him. He regretted looking after Byakuya when he was ill – when he was ill himself Byakuya just sat at a distance coldly. Ichigo felt like an idiot, for entertaining the idea of caring for Rukia's ice-prince brother.

He walked out of the room, slamming the door on his way.

Byakuya breathed in deeply, trying to rein back his control as rage got the better of him. The audacity of Kurosaki Ichigo made him want to slice the boy up with Senbonzakura blades until nothing was left of him. He couldn't believe, that he had felt anything close to concern over someone so unworthy.

He looked down at the photograph, letting the pang of sadness dilute his anger.

"Hisana, forgive me." He was not sure why he said that. Probably for feeling emotions vaguely close to what he had felt while she was ill, over Kurosaki Ichigo the previous night.

It was shameful, for Kuchiki Byakuya to act this way. For Kuchiki Byakuya, the strong man Hisana had loved, to fail to keep his calm and control over something like this. He felt a surge of regret, for letting her down, letting the Kuchiki clan down, by acting the way he had over a sick human boy. For ever being moved by the boy's behaviour when he was ill himself.

He told himself that he would not fall into such fallacies any further, while Ichigo told himself the same thing downstairs.

* * *

><p>(1) : Okaasan is the Japanese word for addressing one's mother<p>

**Next chapter: Causes, Awareness, Narrow spaces and Chocolate.**

**A/N: **Things will brighten up in the next chapter, don't worry!


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11:  
>Causes, Awareness, Narrow spaces and Chocolate.<strong>

Kuchiki Byakuya had to admit to himself, that he felt somewhat triumphant. Kurosaki Ichigo had been treating him with even more coldness than was usual between them for the past few days. But today the boy's attention seemed to keep coming back to him no matter how hard he tried not to let that happen.

Not that Byakuya wanted or cared for Kurosaki Ichigo's attention, of course. It was simply amusing to watch the brat struggle.

The students of Karakura High School were out of uniform today. They were all donning a special tee-shirt which was being sold as a part of fundraising for a charitable cause that the school was promoting.

Ichigo had gotten himself and Byakuya the same size of the tee-shirt, which in Byakuya's opinion was a bit tight. Also, in Byakuya's opinion he looked preposterous in this clothing. But he appreciated the method of fundraising for such a noble purpose, and was considering introducing such concepts in Soul Society as well.

Of course, it was apparent that Ichigo did not think Byakuya looked preposterous. His eyes kept wandering to the Shinigami dressed in the white tee-shirt and dark blue jeans. Byakuya was aware that Ichigo was not the only one giving appreciative glances in his direction. This sort of clothing must be considered very attractive among high school students. Byakuya had to admit, Ichigo himself looked quite good in it.

Most of the boys kept staring at that annoying Inoue Orihime girl, whose curvaceous figure was flattered by her tee-shirt. All her attention though was focused on Ichigo, as usual. Byakuya had initially thought that Ichigo knew about her feelings but ignored her because she was annoying. But it soon became clear to Byakuya that this was not the case. Ichigo was actually clueless to how besotted the girl was with him! And he did not seem particularly attracted to her either. Byakuya smugly wondered if it would have been different if he wasn't here.

Ichigo scowled and leaned back in his seat. This was torture. He was more than glad to buy the tee-shirts for the charity, but why did they have to wear them to school? Why did Byakuya have to look so good in his tee-shirt and jeans? _He's a Shinigami for God's sake, he's supposed to look absurd and out of place in these clothes!_

Ichigo wondered if there was anything Byakuya would not look good in. He was surely the only person in the entire classroom who looked so elegant in such casual clothes. The poise of his perfectly shaped lean body made him even more attractive. _These clothes, on that body..._ Ichigo forgot about concentrating on the class. He could not even remember if it was chemistry class or maths or biology. He was noticing the way Byakuya's silky long black hair fell to his strong graceful shoulders. The way the white of the material looked against his pale skin. The way those chilling grey eyes were looking at him..._Shit! He caught me staring at him!_

Ichigo hurriedly lowered his gaze to his book, hoping no one else had noticed what he had been doing or the blush that was spreading across his face. He started thinking of all the rude names he could call that arrogant noble in his head. _Why him? It had never been so difficult dealing with other Shinigami thrown into my life! Stupid stuck up noble who looks beautiful but has a stick up his ass!_

"Kurosaki, I believe I just asked you a question, do you plan to answer it?" The teacher's voice reached Ichigo's ears, and he jumped up.

_What question? _The teacher was glaring at him while tapping impatiently on her table. The class was looking at him with expressions ranging from amusement to confusion – and of course, from Byakuya, disapproval.

_Byakuya, you idiot, this is all your fault. _Ichigo hung his head and stared at the ground.

"No response," huffed the teacher, "Alright, Kuchiki could you please tell the class, especially Kurosaki what the answer to my question is."

Byakuya, of course, responded correctly. "Well done, Kuchiki. It's no wonder that you've become the top performer in this class in such a short time, even outdoing Ishida in the last exam. Keep it up!"

On any other day, the look of resentment and frustration on Ishida's face would have given Ichigo plenty of satisfaction. But he was currently too pissed off at Byakuya to enjoy even that!

Luck, however, was not on his side that day. With the entire school still scared of Byakuya, Ichigo found himself paired with him when they were volunteering for the rest of the fundraising events after school. The work was simple enough, they were to sit at a little makeshift stall in the busiest shopping mall in town, explain to the passing shoppers how they were raising funds for kids who lost their families and homes in last year's tsunami and earthquake, and look over the boxes where they were collecting donations. The previous group they were taking over from explained this to Ichigo, who sighed knowing this meant he would be doing all the talking while Byakuya sat next to him acting like a marble statue.

If nothing else, the strange combination of two attractive schoolboys, one orange haired and the other with long black hair, soon drew a lot of attention to their stall. Ichigo started explaining about the fundraising with enthusiasm, but got slightly nervous when he realized most of the people at the mall were women of various ages and were taking a great deal of interest in him and Byakuya.

"...so, high schools students all over the country have decided to spend this week raising funds this way. We've found that the residents of Karakura town are very generous when it comes to helping out the kids, and we can gladly say the fundraising is going well. Please keep up that spirit, your donation will make a world of difference to those kids..." Ichigo was suddenly aware that he did not have much more to say, but the girls and women around their stall, now quite a large crowd, still stood expectantly. All of them were looking at him. Feeling awkward, he started to blush and he helplessly looked at Byakuya – who was sitting absolutely straight with a look of detached tranquillity on his face, as though he was sitting in the gardens of the Kuchiki manor and not in a crowded noisy shopping mall in Karakura town. Ichigo looked back at the crowd, and smiled clumsily.

"..how cute!" He heard someone whispering in the crowd. He blushed again. Still lost on what to do, he threw a desperation filled look at Byakuya.

This time, Byakuya noticed. He stood up. Ichigo wondered if he was going to say something. The women around took a new interest in the stunning young man.

Byakuya held forward one of the donation boxes, and finally spoke. "Please donate for the cause."

_That's it? _Ichigo now wanted to face-palm. Of course it had been ridiculous to expect Kuchiki Byakuya to fill in an awkward silence.

Strangely enough, those words seemed to work like a charm. The crowd around them finally got that the speech was over, and now eagerly came forward to leave their donations in the box.

Relieved, Ichigo looked at Byakuya again, and was taken aback to see his face. It took him a while to realize what was so different. Byakuya was not glaring, for a change. On the contrary, his grey eyes were more wide open and less cold than usual. And he kept very good eye contact with everyone around.

What was the most disturbing part however, was that the women around seemed to find him endearing and irresistible. Ichigo realized this was probably the closest Kuchiki Byakuya got to a puppy-dog eyed look!

He would have started cursing Byakuya in his mind again, but the way the donation box was filling up fast made him refrain from doing that. They later found out that their shift at the stall was the most successful one of the week.

After that successful stint at the mall, Ichigo was looking forward to going back home in peace. But he was reminded of how this was not his day, when Byakuya's hollow sensor started vibrating.

"Hollow?" Ichigo asked Byakuya.

Byakuya took out the device and looked at the screen with a frown on his face. "No, there's some strange reiatsu activity. I'm going to check on it." With that, Byakuya turned and walked in the opposite direction.

"Wait, aren't you going to get out of your gigai?"

"It does not seem necessary yet."

"Where are you heading?"

"It seems to be near the school. Why are you following me?"

"I want to see what's going on. Especially if it's near my school."

By the time they reached the school, now empty long after school hours, Byakuya's hollow sensor had picked up a few on and off signals on the strange reiatsu pattern. They were walking through the deserted halls, trying to locate the possible source.

They turned a corner, and suddenly heard voices coming from one of the rooms.

"Are there supposed to be people here now?" asked Byakuya.

"No, even _we _aren't supposed to be here without permission after school hours. I wonder what's going on. Stay quiet." Ichigo briefly wondered why he had just asked the ice prince of silence to stay quiet, as he inched towards the door beyond which the voices were talking.

He caught some of the words they were saying. "..the council suggests." "a raise does not seem likely..." "hiring new members for the staff..."

Realization dawned on Ichigo. He dragged Byakuya aside and told him quietly, "I just remembered there was a notice saying that the teacher's association had a meeting scheduled for today. We need to get out of here, we'll get in trouble if the teachers see us here now."

"Why?"

"I told you, there are rules about students being here after school hours." He said and started walking in hurried steps down the hallway. But before they could turn the corner, there was a sound from behind them of a door opening.

Before he knew what was happening, Byakuya found himself pulled into the nearest door which was immediately closed.

"What are you doing?" He asked Kurosaki Ichigo, who seemed to have pulled him into a very narrow, dark space and closed the door on them.

"Shhh. They were coming out of the meeting room." Ichigo wondered where they were. He thought they had ducked into a storage closet, but the space seemed too narrow even for that. He could barely move, there was hardly any distance between him and Byakuya. He reached around blindly looking for a light switch, but his fingers met something else.

"Why are you touching my face?" Byakuya asked in a menacing cold voice, slapping away Ichigo's hand.

"Shut up! I was looking for a light."

"...on my face?"

"Just be quiet!"

Fortunately, Ichigo found the light switch right next to the door. And now they could both see their predicament. It was a storage closet Ichigo had dragged them into but it was so full of stacks of boxes, only enough room for one person to move around was left just beyond the door. Ichigo and Byakuya were currently crowded into that space, facing each other as both their backs were against the stacks behind them.

"This is an uncomfortable arrangement." Byakuya glared at Ichigo, inches from his face. He was too close to the Substitute Shinigami for his liking, and he even had to lean forward a little and rest his arm on the stack in front of him and behind Ichigo, to fit in. He had to bend his legs a little too, as did Ichigo who was resting his knee against the stack behind Byakuya and had one arm awkwardly raised and leaning against the door.

"Oh, sorry that the storage closet does not meet your high standards, your majesty." Ichigo half-whispered as he rolled his eyes.

Byakuya continued to glare at him.

"It's better than trying to explain to a bunch of teachers why we're here. They should leave soon, we won't be here for long." Ichigo explained. There were a few footsteps outside, which disappeared. But noises from the meeting room could still be heard. So they kept as quiet and still as they could, cramped into the space in strange positions. Ichigo tried not to think of how close he was to Byakuya. Or that all he could smell was that intoxicating fragrance. He found himself inhaling deeply.

Byakuya raised his eyebrows questioningly.

"What, I'm feeling a bit breathless in this cramped space!" Ichigo explained hurriedly. He was also trying not to think of how he spent the entire day checking out Byakuya and observing how stunning he looked in that tee-shirt and dark jeans, and of how he somehow landed in dangerous proximity to the noble.

Although he was still acting calm on the outside, Byakuya was feeling angry inside. He could not recall ever having to hide in such an arrangement. There wasn't even room for him to stand straight. He was practically sandwiched between the stacks of boxes in a dusty room, with the orange haired brat between his arms. There was nothing to do but to look at each other.

And so they stood, starting to feel a little stiff from being bent in strange ways, uncomfortably close to each other between the stacks of boxes, and glared at each other.

Suddenly, a buzzing noise filled the storage closet.

Byakuya's phone was vibrating.

Cold grey eyes remained expressionless as wide brown ones looked at them questioningly.

Seeing that Byakuya was not moving as the phone continued to vibrate, Ichigo mumbled "Hey. You plan on answering that call, text, Hollow alert or whatever?"

There was silence for a few moments, except the annoying buzzing of the vibrating phone.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, take out my phone."

"What? It's your phone, answer it yourself!" Ichigo was annoyed and perplexed at the stuck-up noble's sudden demand.

Byakuya let out a low sigh. "I can't. There is no room to move my arms. The phone is in the pocket of my jeans."

Ichigo kept scowling at Byakuya. He had no intention of handling the noble's pants. With a small pause, the phone started vibrating again.

Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.

"Make that freaking noise stop before it draws the entire world to the storage closet!" Ichigo hissed angrily.

Byakuya closed his eyes to rein in his frustration. "How will I make it stop if it's inside my pocket?"

Ichigo turned his head, well as much as was possible, to see that there really was no room for Byakuya to maneuvre his arm to reach for his own pocket. He realized he should not have made the effort to observe, because now he was very much aware of how he was pinned to the stack behind him, with one of Byakuya's arms supported against the boxes next to his face, and the other supported in a similar way but at his waist level. On the other side, Ichigo's knee was pushed up against the stack behind Byakuya at his waist level. Definitely no way for the Shinigami to move.

Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.

"Okay, fine!" Ichigo gave up, exasperated. "I swear I'm going to kill whoever's calling you!"

So he reached for Byakuya's pocket on the side where his own knee was right next to the Shinigami's side. While the buzzing noise continued, he felt nothing moving under his hand (only what felt like a well nourished wallet). Now, he grabbed the pockets on both sides with his hands, quite violently.

Byakuya's eyes flew wide open and the sudden rough handling on his person.

"...You could have just asked which pocket it was in!"

"Never mind, I found out." Ichigo whispered back. He had successfully located the phone in Byakuya's left pocket. Now, he would take it out. And they could put that God forsaken vibrating to rest.

That is, if he managed to pry it out. From his position, and limited range of movement, Ichigo could barely get his fingers to move into the pocket.

"Byakuya, your pants are too tight!"

"No they aren't, you are wearing a tighter pair. Can you not do anything right?" Byakuya stated coldly. The Substitute Shinigami fumbling around his thighs was starting to get rather annoying. It was taking a lot of effort to stay calm.

"Shut..." Ichigo frowned in concentration, trying to figure out how to make his fingers enter the slit where the pocket opened, "...up!" Success! His fingers were now inside.

But his fingers, much like him, had no room to move. The vibrating phone was at his fingertips, but it was not easy getting a grip on the phone to pull it out. _Byakuya might deny it, but his pants really are too tight!_

Ichigo changed his strategy, and took out all his fingers but two, trying to extract the phone by using them as pincers. Glad that it was working, he gave a sudden pull on the phone.

"Oh sorry I dropped something!" Ichigo had managed to get half the phone out, but in doing so, something else that was in the pocket fell out. Reflexly, Ichigo's hand shot out and he bent forwards to retrieve the falling object. Once it was secure in his hands, he was about to bend back to his previous position but his head collided with Byakuya's arm.

"Ow!" He stood up rubbing his head, his eyes watering from the sudden impact between it and Byakuya's strong arm. "Here, I almost dropped your...condoms?"

Ichigo started blushing when he finally realized what he had in his hands was a string of condom packets (and from what little knowledge he had on the subject, the packaging looked like a fancy expensive type). In his surprise and embarrassment, he was still staring at the contents of his hand unable to face Byakuya.

"I believe you were supposed to be taking out my _phone_," Byakuya said in his ice-cold monotone. He was at first annoyed, but seeing Ichigo's reaction amused him somewhat.

"I was taking out your phone, damn it!" Ichigo could sense the sarcasm in the noble's voice and he did not want to be ridiculed by _him_. "Why on earth are these in your pocket?" He tried to make his annoyance mask his sudden embarrassment.

"Where else would I keep them?"

"I don't know – how about _not_ with your phone," Ichigo was getting even more annoyed at Byakuya's cold voice discussing such an unexpected topic. "What do you need them for anyway?" It was after those last words left his mouth that Ichigo realized what he had just asked. "Never mind! I really don't want to know!" He said loudly, trying to look somewhere other than Byakuya's face, but there was not much option really.

What was making it worse was that Byakuya's face held neither irritation nor anger, it was absolutely expressionless although Ichigo suspected that the glint in his eyes was something akin to mischief if such a thing was possible in Kuchiki Byakuya.

"Surely, you know what it is _for._" Byakuya continued in his expressionless deep icy tone. "I thought young people in the world of the living have high levels of awareness on such topics. Or have you been unfortunate to not be educated on it?"

"Byakuya, shut up or I'll punch a hole in your face." Ichigo said, completely red now.

Byakuya was feeling extremely amused, though his poker face was almost unfailingly on. _Surely, even my vice captain's hair is not such a vibrant shade of red._

"It is not something to feel so embarrassed about. As a responsible adult, I should tell you that any grown male should carry them with his person at all times. From your reaction, I can deduce that you don't. You may keep some of mine for that purpose."

Ichigo wished the ground would open up and swallow him alive. The anger and embarrassment were too much.

"Shut up! I don't need sex education from a five hundred year old from the world of dead souls!" Ichigo yelled loudly.

"You are making too much noise." Byakuya stated calmly, looking straight into Ichigo's eyes which were currently ablaze.

"You – you're enjoying this aren't you? You're making fun of me, you bastard!"

"Watch your language. I was merely making sure you were aware."

"Byakuya!"

"Be quiet."

But before the noble finished his short sentence, the door of the storage closet flew open, and on the other side Ichigo's class teacher and the school principal stood bewildered, looking at the two boys crowded into the cramped narrow space, practically in each others arms, with Ichigo blushing a deep shade of red and holding condom packets in front of Byakuya's expressionless face.

_Oh shit. Oh shit! _This time, Ichigo wished for something more than the ground opening and swallowing him alive. This was bad. This was very, very bad.

"What do you two think you're doing?" The teacher bellowed. The principal had still not been able to retrieve his jaw which had dropped at the sight.

Ichigo's tongue felt tied. The horrors of being seen with Byakuya in such a compromising position, the shame of what interpretations the teachers had of it, and the fear of getting expelled from school for his behaviour were flashing through his mind.

"...I...can explain. It's not what it looks like ma'm!" He stuttered.

"You two get out of that storage closet now!" The principal yelled. "I have never, in all my years at this school seen such a shameful display of inappropriate behaviour!"

Once in the hallway, Ichigo could not lift his gaze from the floor. Byakuya still stood expressionlessly, looking almost bored.

The teachers gathered around them were whispering to each other, expressions of outrage all around.

"Well Kurosaki, you said something about an explanation!" His teacher threatened.

"...umm...it's not...we were..."

"Enough! Stop trying to come up with an excuse. This is so shameful Kurosaki. I did not expect this from you. You are one of the top students in my class! You may not be the friendliest boy around and I've heard you've been in a fight or two – but this? What is this absolutely appalling display of behaviour?"

The teacher paused in her yelling for a breath, and then continued, "What about you, Kuchiki? You are supposed to be the model student of your school! You've always acted with such perfect sophistication like an ideal gentleman. What is the meaning of this misconduct from you?"

While Ichigo had continued staring at the floor in shame when the teacher yelled at him, Byakuya promptly replied, his deep calm smooth voice clearly heard by everyone in the hallway.

"I am new to this place. I do not know the customs and culture here. I was merely doing as Kurosaki Ichigo said I should."

Incredulous, Ichigo finally lifted his eyes from the floor, to look at Byakuya. What he saw proved him wrong – the expression Byakuya had worn at the shopping mall was not his closest to a puppy-dog eyed look. This was.

A few seconds of stunned silence followed, and then the teacher's voice ripped through the hallway.

"Kurosaki, _what_ were you teaching Kuchiki about the cultures and customs of our home?"

Her anger was making her seem like a dragon, and Ichigo was sure he would be fried by the fire.

Ichigo threw a dirty glare at Byakuya, who was standing there with a placid serene face with his eyes half closed. He looked like he was standing at a Captain's meeting in Soul Society, not in the middle of a hallway full of outraged schoolteachers ready to pass judgement on him and Ichigo.

_Byakuya, as soon as I get out of this, I'm going to kill you._

After a grilling session for what felt like hours by the entire teacher's association including the principal who looked set to have a heart attack, Ichigo and Byakuya were finally on their way home. Ichigo was rather relieved that he had gotten off with only a few months of detention involving cleaning the school grounds, a threat of immediate expulsion should there be another incidence of bad behaviour, and a long series of lectures on how shameful this incident was, what a bad example he was setting, and how he needs to learn to control his raging teenage hormones in appropriate ways other boys his age do – at which there was also a decision to arrange a special session for him with the school nurse and school counselor.

As painfully embarrassing and unfair as all this was, considering he had done nothing of the sort they were imagining, Ichigo was glad he had not been expelled. It would have been big trouble if he had gotten himself expelled.

But the principal was going to send a letter to this father notifying him of his son's misconduct. Ichigo could not imagine facing his dad over a letter informing him of his antics with another boy in a storage closet.

He let out a howl of frustration, drawing strange looks from the passersby on the street, and no response from Byakuya.

"Byakuya! This is all your fault! Why couldn't you just zap their memories with that device Shinigami have for modifying human memories?" Ichigo screamed at the noble, infuriated at why he kept so calm through this mortifying incident.

"There are rules about using the Kikanshinki. I can only use them to replace human memories if my activities as a Shinigami or the attacks of hollows create situations which cannot be easily explained to humans. What happened today does not fall under any of those categories" Byakuya explained in his monotone.

"Yes it does, your _activities_ got us into trouble!"

"It was your decision, and not any of the activities that are part of my job, that got us in that predicament."

"Whatever, Rukia or Renji would have used it to help me out in this situation! My reputation is about to be ruined."

"I am not Rukia or Renji." Byakuya said coldly before walking off. "And there is no damage to your reputation other than that you were caught in a storage closet with me, which was a consequence of your decision. I will not bend rules to get you out of the consequence of your poorly planned actions."

"Screw your rules!" Ichigo yelled, half out of pure anger and half out of a need to infuriate Byakuya.

Byakuya shot him a cold glare over his shoulder, and continued to walk home.

Back home, when Byakuya came to the bedroom after his shower, he found Kurosaki Ichigo sitting on the bed with a box of chocolates in his hand, and chocolate smeared around his mouth and on his fingers.

"What are you doing?"

"What does it look like, you idiot? I'm eating chocolates."

Byakuya looked perplexed. "Now? Why are you having sweets when it's nearly time for dinner?"

Ichigo stuffed another piece of chocolate into his mouth. "I eat chocolates when I'm upset. It makes me feel better."

Byakuya stood looking at him, confused and shocked. "Chocolates...make you feel better when you're upset?" He said slowly and quietly, watching Ichigo as he swallowed and then licked the molten chocolate on his own fingers. Byakuya felt a strange wave of astonishment, but he wasn't sure if it was at the terrible lack of manners or at the way Ichigo seemed to find ecstasy in the chocolates.

Ichigo picked up another piece of chocolate, only half aware of the noble staring at him, and bit into it. "Mmm, strawberry cream filling!" He licked at the stray cream filling and took another bite, unknowingly moaning at how delicious the chocolate was.

Then, he finally noticed the Byakuya standing in front of him, watching him with a vague expression that could be anything from confusion to envy to disgust. Ichigo figured Byakuya had never seen anyone eat with such complete disregard for manners, but right now he could not care less. Ichigo was in a very bad mood, and chocolates always lifted his spirits. _Byakuya can go shove his manners and his rules up his..._No, the chocolate was definitely working, Ichigo did not even feel like completing that thought. Although if his lack of manners annoyed Byakuya, he planned to continue eating messily.

He licked the chocolate around his lips with a smacking noise. Byakuya was still watching him, and Ichigo realized it wasn't nice to be savoring the chocolate without offering any.

"Want some?" He asked, holding the box forward.

Had Byakuya been a less composed man, a chocolate covered Ichigo purring "want some" would have drawn a reaction from him. But he was Kuchiki Byakuya. He was not going to lose his composure. _And he's not chocolate covered, he only has chocolate on his face and hands. Get a hold of yourself!_

"I do not like sweets," came a cool reply belying the actual thoughts inside the noble's head.

"Oh yeah, I forgot. Wait, you can have this one in the corner of the box. It's dark chocolate."

The blank expression on Byakuya's face told Ichigo that he did not know what dark chocolate was.

"Dark chocolate is unsweetened. So it's not sweet like the others and all you get is the flavour of the chocolate – rich, smooth and deep." _Like your voice. Wait, where did that thought come from? _Ichigo wondered why he was thinking this way when he was supposed to be pissed off at Byakuya. The chocolate really must be working.

Byakuya was now observing the contents of the box, unsure of what to do. Seeing his hesitation, Ichigo picked the dark chocolate from the box and handed it to him. The refinement in Byakuya cringed at the thought that those fingers that were handing him the chocolate were the same ones the boy had been licking.

He took the square shaped melting chocolate and cautiously took a bite. He was pleasantly surprised at how good it tasted. Like the boy had said, it was full of a deep, rich flavour. It was bitter, strong yet delicious. One bite, and he knew he wanted more.

Ichigo was watching his face for a reaction.

"If chocolate can be made unsweetened, then why is there a need for sweet chocolates?" asked Byakuya.

Ichigo chuckled, "Just say you like it, like normal people would. You're so weird, Byakuya. Besides, I like both dark and sweet chocolates." He then picked another chocolate from the box and ate it with glee.

He had devoured all of it, while Byakuya had just swallowed his one bite. Observing Byakuya's face closely, Ichigo started to realize what was happening. To test this, he slowly licked off the chocolate on one of his fingers.

It was almost imperceptible, but Ichigo could catch something in Byakuya's eyes. Entertained, Ichigo sucked the next finger, sighing contentedly as he said, "Mmm, this is really good!"

Byakuya kept very still, watching Ichigo and trying to keep his face unreadable, almost forgetting about the chocolate melting in his hand.

Ichigo now looked at him, mischief written all over his face, and in an innocent voice asked, "Are you going to finish that?" Then he stepped closer, lowered his voice to a near whisper and added, "It's not good to waste chocolate."

Saying that, Ichigo reached out with his thumb to wipe some stray chocolate from just below Byakuya's bottom lip. Then he licked it off his thumb.

Byakuya was dumbfounded. And dismayed at the blush threatening to creep up his face. This act of boldness from the boy was completely unexpected, and the smile on his face along with the fact that he had not stepped away from him, showed that it was purely intentional.

The boy was challenging him. It was in his eyes and his smile.

Byakuya looked down at the chocolate in his hands. He hated being challenged. He knew he could make much more of a tempting show right now, by licking that chocolate in a provocative way.

But it would be so improper, for Kuchiki Byakuya to lick food off his hands to respond to a challenge from the Substitute Shinigami.

As though he knew exactly what was on Byakuya's mind, Ichigo's smile widened. His eyes stayed fixed on Byakuya.

Yes, Ichigo was enjoying this. Byakuya knew exactly what he was doing. He could see the dilemma inside the noble. _Go on, prissy ice prince. Are you too perfect to lick chocolate? Will you be able to lower yourself to prove that you're better than me?_

Byakuya looked at Ichigo's face and then back at the chocolate. He decided he would not make a show of himself licking it. Instead, he did the next best thing and ate it slowly, in his own civilized and beautiful way.

Ichigo smirked victoriously. He should have known Byakuya couldn't do it. He looked into the noble's grey eyes, continuing to smirk, knowing there was more to Byakuya's reaction than his expressionless face.

Ichigo could not help thinking, _Sometimes, revenge really is sweet._

* * *

><p><strong>AN**: Ichigo liking chocolate is canon! Although no mentions were made of liking it this much.

I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, so it became kind of long. Hope you had fun reading it too!

Review and let me know your feelings on it!

**The next three chapters will focus on the school festival, lead up to a climax and then a twist.**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N:**

_Late update! Sorry!_

Hello readers! I'm afraid this update is rather late. But as much as I love writing fanfiction, it is a hobby after all and needs to take a backseat sometimes when real life keeps me busy as it did lately with major exams. After my exams I decided to update myself with the recent chapters of Bleach, which led me to complete depression.

Thank you to all of you who review and follow this story – especially "Tobzoska" and "Guest". It's very flattering that you like my story so much that the late updates made you feel "pissed off" as you put it. _Enjoy the update, but I'm afraid I can't guarantee the next one will be fast!__**  
><strong>_

**On with the story then.**

_The school festival begins. And a little jealousy is always a good thing, right?  
>(One of my other favourite boys from Bleach is going to be making an appearance and staying for the next few chapters!)<em>_**  
><strong>_

**Chapter 12: Pocky**

Sunlight gleamed through the window into the classroom. Ichigo leaned back in his seat, and for once he was not scowling. He was in a good mood. His duties as a Shinigami had meant that he completely missed the school festival in the previous year. But this year's school festival was starting soon, and Ichigo was determined to enjoy himself.

_Like a normal schoolboy_, thought Ichigo. Well, as normal as things could get for him as long as he had to put up with a certain arrogant noble Shinigami captain pretending to go to school with him. Ichigo's scowl was back on now, as he watched the source of his irritation sitting right in front of him, silky black hair shining where the sunlight fell on it. Kuchiki Byakuya's poise and elegance made him want to hit him. But he could not do that in the middle of class.

_Screw him! I'm going to enjoy the festival. I'm not the stiff centuries-old noble with the stick up my ass. I'll ignore him and enjoy myself! _The class period was almost over, and the teacher was now discussing the festival, confirming which events the students were participating in.

"Kuchiki, I see you haven't signed up for any of the events?" She asked.

Byakuya only turned his head so that his cold gaze met the teacher, but did not reply.

At the lack of a verbal response, which she really should have been used to by now, the teacher cleared her throat and continued. "You are expected to participate in the school festival as a student of this school. It adds to your credits too. Now, is there something among these events that you're good at?"

There was, once again, no reply from Byakuya. But there was an audible snort from Ichigo, for which the teacher threw a glare at him that could be competition for Byakuya's.

"Well, Kuchiki? Have you made a decision? You're the only one from my class who has not signed up for anything."

After a few seconds of silence, Ichigo thought he'd fall out of his seat when Byakuya finally said in his expressionless monotone, "I will sing at the music competition."

Ichigo burst out laughing. The thought of the cold stiff Kuchiki Byakuya _singing_ was just too funny.

"Kurosaki, is there a reason why you are laughing?" The teacher was glaring at him again. Ichigo immediately contained his laughter and apologized. He looked at Byakuya, expecting a glare from him too, but the Shinigami had not moved a centimetre from his perfect poise. Ichigo rolled his eyes.

_Well, it's going to be fun watching him embarrass himself at the music competition, trying to sing. _Rukia's ice-prince brother singing - Ichigo could not imagine something more impossible. But it would be a very satisfying feeling to kick Byakuya's ass at the competition – Ichigo was participating in the same event and he was pretty good at singing and playing the guitar.

"And will you be performing on your own or with someone?" Continued the teacher.

Ichigo felt relieved that he had already signed up for his own solo performance, because surely if Byakuya had to pick anyone it would be him since the other students were still scared and wary of Byakuya. _There's no way in hell I'd go on stage performing with that marble statue!  
><em>

"I will be performing with Abarai Renji."

The teacher and the class went into confused silence for a while. Ichigo thought he'd fall out of his chair in shock and amusement. _Renji? Singing with his captain?_

"Abarai Renji? You mean the strange – er I mean red haired transfer student? But he has not attended this school for almost a year!" The teacher asked, perplexed.

"He will attend this school from tomorrow." Came the cool reply.

"How do you know that? Is Abarai a friend of yours?"

"Abarai Renji is not my friend."

"But you are sure he is attending the school from tomorrow? And will he be alright with you signing him up for an event?"

"Yes, he will." _He doesn't really have a choice. _Byakuya's no-nonsense voice and expression made the teacher stop asking any further questions. She was distressed already at the thought of having more than one unusual transfer student in her class.

Ichigo hid his face from the teacher and started laughing again, making as little noise as possible. This was getting even better. Byakuya singing was funny enough. Renji singing too was hilarious. _What was Byakuya thinking? _Then it occurred to him, _The smart arrogant bastard, he probably chose Renji so that he has someone who sings worse than him and makes him look like less of an idiot on stage!  
><em>

* * *

><p>Later that day, Ichigo was doing his homework in his bedroom, ignoring Byakuya who was tapping away at buttons on his cellphone. <em>Workaholic! Wait, I'm supposed to be ignoring him.<br>_

They sensed a Senkaimon opening not far off. Byakuya showed no reaction to that, not even lifting his eyes off the cellphone screen. Ichigo said, "Is that - " but before he could finish the question, a redhead Shinigami popped in through the window, "Renji!"

The vice-captain of the sixth squad flashed his brilliant white teeth smiling at him, and then bowed respectfully to his captain, who did not spare as much as an acknowledging nod.

"You know there's a front door to my house, right? Stop flying in through the window!" Ichigo said in mock annoyance, for he was happy to meet Renji again. It was a relief to have a Shinigami he was good friends with around, after spending so much time around Byakuya's coldness.

"Shut up or I'll land on you next time!"

"Don't gross me out – I have no intention of being under you."

Ichigo and Renji stopped their friendly banter as they felt cold grey eyes on them.

"If you two are done exchanging _pleasantries, _Renji have you made the necessary arrangements for the squad to be taken care of in your absence?" asked Byakuya.

"Yes, sir," came Renji's reply. He then lowered his voice to a concerned tone and asked, "Taichou, did something important come up? You said I'll be needed here for a while."

Ichigo snorted. This startled Renji. It was after all an unusual response to whatever grave situation must be at hand for which Kuchiki Taichou had summoned his vice-captain from Soul Society.

Byakuya sat quietly for a while, calculating his next words. Renji was growing anxious now, wondering what exactly was going on – his captain was not easy to read, but from his experience with the man, Renji could tell that he looked somewhat worried.

Ichigo watched in amusement.

"Renji, you are to procure a gigai from Urahara, as you'll be staying here for a few days," Byakuya finally said. "I require your assistance concerning the matter of..."

Renji held his breath.

"...The school festival," Byakuya finished the sentence.

Renji gaped. Was he hearing wrong? Was this a secret code he was supposed to be breaking? "What?" He asked, and then corrected himself, "I'm afraid I do not understand what you mean, captain. Is there something amiss at Ichigo's school?"

He didn't show it, but Byakuya was losing his patience now. This conversation needed to end. "Renji, I will require your previous experience in the World of The Living, for my participation in this event known as a 'school festival'. You will attend the school from tomorrow. You will be performing on stage with me – I have heard from others that you are a decent singer. I will also require you to pick a song for our performance. Now, do you have any further questions?"

Renji was shocked at the reason why he had been brought all the way to this realm from Soul Society, as was evident from the way his jaw was dropping to the floor.

Ichigo was laughing away at this interaction of captain and vice captain.

Byakuya was extremely annoyed now.

"Renji, are my orders not clear?" He asked, his voice cold and threatening, with a distinct rise in his reiatsu to snap his vice captain back to his senses.

_Oh shit, Taichou hates repeating himself or if he's left waiting for an answer._ Renji panicked, knowing he needed to recover his voice now or he was in trouble. "Yes, sir." _A captain's orders are a captain's orders. _Even if they are absurd. "And Ichigo, shut up."

"If my orders are clear, then you have no reason to wait before following them."

"Err...yes Taichou, I'll be off now." With that, the confused redhead vice captain left to settle the matter of his gigai.

* * *

><p>And so, the next morning, Abarai Renji arrived for class at Karakura High School – looking incredibly out of place as usual. A lot of the students knew him from before, as the strange transfer student with the pineapple red hair and tattoos. They had found him scary at first, but later they realized he was quite nice. So he was welcomed back with a few smiles and polite greetings as he entered the classroom.<p>

Walking up to where Byakuya and Ichigo sat, Renji waved to Ichigo and then said, "Good morning Kuchiki Taichou."

Their classmates gave them strange looks, and one went on to ask "Abarai san, why do you call Kuchiki san 'taichou'?"_  
><em>

"Er..." Renji looked from Byakuya (who was ignoring everyone) to Ichigo, wondering how to explain this.

With a sigh, Ichigo said, "Byakuya is the captain of the football team back in their school, that's why."

Renji nodded, "Yeah, that's why."

There were murmurs from the other students. "Kuchiki san is good at football too. He seems to be good at everything."

For someone who was ignoring everyone, Byakuya had a rather smug variant of his expressionless face on.

While he did not show it at all, Byakuya felt a lot more comfortable at Karakura High School with Renji around. It was much better having his vice captain's company while pointlessly sitting in a class with human teenagers. Renji sat next to his captain, and also stayed around him between classes and at lunch time.

Ichigo noticed that the two Shinigami seemed grateful to have one another around. _Of course, Renji and Byakuya work together all the time at Soul Society. They're accustomed to having each other around, and they're a pretty good team. _He thought as he watched them sitting together at lunch – Renji was enjoying his food and he would talk from time to time, while Byakuya placidly drank from a juice box in silence, rarely answering his vice-captain.

Ichigo hadn't noticed Keigo and Mizuiro were standing next to him.

"Hey Ichigo, are you jealous?" Keigo said suddenly.

"What?" Asked a startled Ichigo.

"Kuchiki san and Abarai san seem to be good friends." Mizuiro observed.

"Uh...They're not exactly friends." Ichigo said.

"Really? Because I think Kuchiki san talked more to Abarai san in one day than he did to the rest of the class in his whole time at this school!" Said Keigo. "I guess you're upset he's not paying attention to you, Ichigo?"

"What – of course not! What the hell are you saying!" Ichigo replied, flustered.

"Well you were pretty much the only one in class he ever interacted with. But he's forgotten you after Abarai san arrived. It's ok Ichigo, I'm still your friend." With that melodramatic line Keigo pounced on Ichigo to hug him, but got shoved off.

"You have completely _lost it_, Keigo," Ichigo said gruffly. "As if I _want_ Byakuya's attention. I'm glad he's off my back, okay?

"Err, Ichigo - you _know_ I was just joking, right?"

At this, Ichigo suddenly went very red, surprising his friends and himself. "Whatever." He mumbled and walked off. _I'm going to take a walk with no stuck up arrogant bastard to put up with._

Watching Ichigo stalk off, Renji said, "Whoa, what's wrong with _him_?"

Renji was just thinking aloud, saying that to himself, and so was rather startled when his captain actually replied. "It is pointless, Renji, to concern yourself with the frequent mood swings of a bratty human teenager."

Renji was keen enough to sense the hint of bitterness in Kuchiki Taichou's voice as he spoke. He had often wondered, since his captain came on this mission, how the noble had fared in the World of the Living. And he was aware of how Kuchiki Taichou and Ichigo could not stand each other's attitude. Renji could only imagine with horror, the daily explosions that must have been arising from the reaction of his captain's icy arrogance and Ichigo's fiery attitude. _Well I guess I should be relieved they haven't killed each other yet...  
><em>

He walked to the other end of the classroom to dispose his now empty box of food into a bin there, still absorbed in his thoughts. He couldn't decide whom it was worse for. For the stoic captain of the Sixth Squad, who had spent all his life in the lap of noble luxury, and was so accustomed to meticulously running his squad, used to nothing less than perfect service from his subordinates and servants, to be suddenly thrown into posing as a high school student and sharing a small bedroom with a '_bratty'_ human teenager. Or for Ichigo, to have his daily life invaded by the ice cold haughty noble Shinigami, to deal with that attitude nearly twenty-four seven (while Renji had only recently learnt to get used to that for office hours every day, he could imagine how trying it would be to spend all day _and_live with Kuchiki Byakuya).

Renji hadn't noticed Ichigo's classmates had walked up to him until one of them suddenly spoke up, a scrawny kid that he could not remember the name of. "Abarai san, are you having a good first day back at Karakura High School?"

"Err...yeah, sure." Renji began to suspect why they were approaching and talking to him since they usually kept a distance because they found him strange. He remembered some of them from before, especially the two annoying boys and the girl with short black hair who was good at martial arts.

"Hey are you friends with Kuchiki san? You guys are from the same school right?"

"Friends – well not exactly. I'm his sister's friend and he's my...," Renji stopped himself before using the word boss, they were posing as high school students after all, "...classmate. We're classmates."

"Well he does act friendly with you by his standards. Even more so than with Ichigo. And he barely interacts with the rest of us."

_My captain, friendly? Maybe the day pigs fly._ "Yeah, he is somewhat..._reserved_."

"Oh, don't get us wrong. We do find him very cool! He's smart, handsome, sophisticated and seems to be good at almost everything."

Renji chuckled a little, "Yeah, he is pretty cool." _And these kids only know the tip of the iceberg!  
><em>

"Since you seem to be friendly with both Ichigo and Kuchiki-san, we wanted to ask you something." Now the teenagers exchanged shifty glances, wondering how to proceed. Renji sensed an awkwardness in the air. But he was in no way prepared for the shock of the question when it came.

"Are Ichigo and Kuchiki-san going out?"

Renji gaped, his tattooed brows sky high. He could not be hearing right. "Are they _what_?"

"Well, we've been wondering what's going on with them. They don't exactly act like friends, and even seem to be cold around each other usually. But still ever since Kuchiki-san has been here Ichigo has been spending most of his time with him," one of the boys said.

"And there was the time when Kuchiki-san single-handedly beat the crap out of that idiotic gang after they attacked Ichigo when he was sick," added the girl.

_Unbelievable! Kuchiki Taichou beating up a gang of teenagers because they attacked Ichigo?_ Renji gulped. _This is sure getting weird.  
><em>

Then, the other boy added, "And we also heard rumours that Kuchiki-san and Ichigo were found making out in a storage closet at the school."

"_What_?_" _Renji reeled from shock at those words. _Kuchiki Taichou and Ichigo making out in a storage closet? ...How horny would they have to be to do that? _Still reeling, Renji shook his head to blot out the disturbing images that were forming in his mind. But the more he thought about it, the more obvious it became that it's impossible_. Those two pretty much hate each other after all. There's a mutual respect they'll both deny, but they still hate each other. _Besides, heads of noble clans do not seem the type to make out in storage closets. Not to mention the fact that Ichigo did not look like someone who had ever made out in his life.

Finally recovering from the shock, Renji said in a stern voice, "That surely had to be just a rumour! Get your heads out of the gutter kids. Kuchiki Taichou is only staying over with Ichigo because he has to, for the exchange programme. Are there any more stupid questions?"

Intimidated at the now slightly pissed big redhead, the group quietly shuffled off murmuring apologies about their misunderstanding. Renji walked back to his seat, next to his captain, who was sitting gracefully and gazing out the window expressionlessly.

Although he hadn't turned to face Renji, Byakuya asked, "You seem agitated, Renji. Is something the matter?"

_If I wanted to be sliced by Senbonzakura, I'd tell you what's the matter._"No, sir."

* * *

><p>Ichigo let out a sigh as he leaned back on the couch. He had thought that he would be able to relax once he got home from school, but he still felt restless. Byakuya was out patrolling the town. Renji was at Urahara's Shop doing chores to make up for "freeloading" there. But even the quiet time was not helping Ichigo's bad mood.<p>

The doorbell rang, and Ichigo wondered who it could be. His sisters or Byakuya would have walked in without ringing the bell, and Renji would just pop in through the window. He went to answer the door.

To his surprise, his redhead Shinigami friend was standing there, looking rather exhausted.

"Renji! What the hell are you doing at the front door?" Asked Ichigo, confused.

"Well the last time I was here some idiot told me to stop entering through the window," came the reply.

"Really? The last time you were here the only idiot in the house was Byakuya!" Quipped the scowling teenager.

Renji chuckled at the wry joke. He would never utter such disrespectful words towards his captain, but in his absence he wouldn't mind laughing at a joke or two about him. "Hey Ichigo, is it okay if I use your shower? Urahara has been working my butt off for staying and eating at his place. I'm sure I'd have to do a million chores for him if I showered there."

"Sure, no problem," said Ichigo, leading his friend upstairs.

When they got to his room, Renji let out a surprised gasp. "What the hell, Ichigo – your room smells of Taichou!"

"Err...No it doesn't!"

"Yes, it does! It smells the same as his office."

"Okay, you're right, it does kind of smell like him," Ichigo said, turning away from Renji to hide the blush that was creeping up his face. "Well he does _live_ here for now, so there's nothing to be so shocked about." _My room smells so good...he smells so good. Oh God, what am I thinking! _"Byakuya does have a pretty ...erm..._unique_ scent. Do you know what it is?" _Yes, unique is a much more appropriate word than sexy._

"Well I've never asked him but I've heard he uses a special cologne the finest perfumers in Seretei made especially in his honour. Also, he's probably the only one who can afford it." Explained Renji.

"Rich spoilt bastard!" Cursed Ichigo.

"You sure are cranky today, what's gotten into you?"

"I'm not cranky, Renji. Anyways the bathroom is the first door on the left."

"Thanks, man! I really needed to get away from the creep Urahara for a while," said Renji with a grateful smile, heading off to take a shower without having to pay for it in chores.

After his shower (during which Renji found the most expensive products from Soul Society in the bathroom, obviously belonging to his captain), a relaxed and refreshed Renji strolled out wearing only a towel wrapped around his waist, his red hair still wet as it fell onto his shoulders and back, and his black tattoos glistening on his damp skin.

He came across Ichigo in the hallway as the boy was leaving his room. "Hey, Ichigo! Still a long face. What's the matter with you? Growing pains?" Renji joked, swinging an arm around Ichigo's shoulders and ruffling his hair with his other hand, hoping to make his orange haired friend snap out of his bad mood.

"Renji, what are you doing here?" A cold nearly threatening voice made Ichigo and Renji turn to the source.

Byakuya had only just returned from patrolling the town, and after climbing upstairs, he met with the sight of his half-naked vice captain standing in the hallway pulling Ichigo towards him. For some reason, this made him feel very angry on the inside. Of course, he didn't express it, except for directing a harder than usual glare at the pair standing in front of him and raising his reiatsu just enough for Renji to tell he was not pleased.

By reflex, Renji let go of Ichigo and went into his customary straight military posture on finding his captain – who also happened to be in a bad mood, standing there. "Sorry for my improper attire, Taichou. I dropped by here to use the shower."

"Are you suggesting there are no facilities for showers in Urahara's lodgings?" Byakuya's voice was ice cold but deadly.

"Of course there are, but he'd make me work in exchange of using the shower, sir." Explained Renji, who was getting nervous wondering why the captain was in such a foul mood. Most people would not be able to tell except for the murderous intent pouring from the noble, but Renji could tell by the subtle hints he had learnt to read in his captain that he was extremely displeased at the moment.

"Well then you should just shower there and work as he wishes. You are staying there, after all. Now move, you are in my way." Byakuya was not even trying to hide his displeasure. "It is bad enough living here without you crowding in too." He added as he headed for the bedroom.

Renji was offended at how rude his captain was suddenly being, but he took it in silence. He knew better than to mess with an angry Kuchiki Byakuya.

Ichigo however, snapped. "What the hell, Byakuya – what is your problem? If you think it's so bad living here why don't you get the hell out of here? And you can't tell Renji whether or not he's welcome here. It's _my house_. Renji is _my friend_. He can come and go as he wishes."

Byakuya, with his back to them, replied in a voice as cruel and ruthless as the blades of his zanpakuto. "Renji is _my vice captain_. If I _order_ him not to come here, he will not come here. Even if it is _your house_ or if he's your _friend_." Cold venom dripped from the noble, chilling the atmosphere. After a pause, he added in a commanding tone, "Renji, from now on you will only come to this house under my orders."

Indignation, shock and confusion were nearly choking his words, but Renji controlled his tongue and said, "Yes, sir."

"You may leave now."

"Yes, sir."

Ichigo was furious at both Byakuya for acting like such an arrogant jackass and Renji for quietly taking the spoilt noble's tyrannical behaviour. He cursed at Byakuya and stormed off, his reiatsu fuming in his uncontrolled anger.

* * *

><p>A couple of days later, the school festival began. Ichigo was still angry at Byakuya, but he was determined to enjoy the festival as much as he could, beginning from day one. He strolled through the school grounds, observing all the stalls and activities he and his schoolmates had been setting up over the last few days. It was already a few hours into the morning and the festival was starting to buzz.<p>

Ichigo knew Renji and Byakuya were close behind him, although he paid them little attention because the last thing he wanted was to be in the stuck-up noble's vicinity and have his mood ruined again. He was grateful, in fact, that the two Shinigami kept each other company and did not get in his way much. _Other than invading my life, that is. When will this mission of his end? Why can't he just go back to Soul Society and leave me alone.  
><em>

Yes, Kurosaki Ichigo had two captain-class Shinigami following him around the school festival, both at least a hundred years old and wearing high school uniforms. There was no such thing as _normal_ in his life.

Still, the colourful festivities soon lightened his mood. He had already visited the art exhibition showcasing artwork by the students (Byakuya seemed mildly intrigued by the art. Renji looked incredibly bored). Then they attended a stand-up comedy show, where most of the audience were laughing at how bad the jokes were rather than how funny they were (Renji was cracking up, Byakuya looked lost and annoyed). This was followed by a couple of short plays by the drama club (Ichigo enjoyed the plays quite a lot, and did not notice what the Shinigami duo were up to).

The next event was the much hyped Game Show. Most of the school was attending that event, which was supposed to be packed with entertaining games that the students from the audience would participate in. The stage was as colourful as the posters promoting the event had been, and the audience was anticipating the start of the show.

Ichigo had fortunately found a seat near the front, and next to him were Renji and Byakuya. The first game made the participants, who were volunteers from the audience, dunk balls into baskets – with blindfolds on. The resulting scampering on stage was quite hilarious. The next game was a "wheel of fortune". Although the prizes were stationery, stuffed toys or candy the students were having a lot of fun. When that segment ended, the anchor of the game show came on stage again.

"Are you all having fun?" She asked into her microphone. The audience cheered in reply. "That's good! Well, there's more fun coming up for you. Our next segment is The Pocky Game!"

The applause from the audience showed that the pocky game was rather popular.

"But, this time, participants will be chosen by lottery!" Another one of the anchors brought a big box up on the stage. "In this box, we have the names of students from all classes. We'll pick two participants from here. So, here we go!"

The anchor picked out a piece of folded paper from the box. "Okay, I'm going to announce the name of our first participant, please stand up if you're here." Unfolding the paper, she announced, "Kurosaki Ichigo!"

Surprised, for he had not been expecting to have his name called, Ichigo stood up. A short applause followed.

"Alright, it seems Kurosaki Ichigo san is here. So, let's find out who he'll be competing with, then!" She picked up a second piece of paper and announced. "Kuchiki Byakuya!"

The audience cheered loudly. Mostly the girls.

Renji noticed how his captain stiffened as he stood up at having his name announced. It was obvious what was going on, and Renji was sure his captain could understand too. The "lottery" was a mere cover up, a farce. Ichigo and Kuchiki Taichou had been set up to play the pocky game against each other, possibly by the perverted population of teenage girls at the school who were inspired by the rumours about them. In fact, the girls were going wild cheering.

Renji turned to look at Ichigo, and it seemed the boy had no idea this was set up. He just looked very uneasy about having been picked to play the pocky game with Kuchiki Byakuya.

"Let's have our participants on stage then! With a round of applause!"

Both Ichigo and Byakuya were disconcerted by the enthusiasm with which the audience applauded, whistled and hooted as they walked to the stage. While it showed on Ichigo's face, Byakuya's face was cold and impassive as ever, which only drove the girls in the audience wilder.

Of course, there was no way out of it now without ruining the mood of the entire school, which did not seem like the wise thing to do. And so, they found themselves side by side on the stage, in front of a bubbling audience and a confused Renji.

"Well, this is our lucky day, we have two very handsome participants!" The anchor went on.

Ichigo blushed a deep shade of red at being called handsome in front of the entire school. _And Byakuya._ Byakuya though, looked indifferent and disinterested.

Renji rolled his eyes, _Lucky, my foot! They intentionally chose the two best looking guys they could find. Yaoi-crazy schoolgirls!  
><em>

"So before we get started," continued the anchor, "I'll explain the rules of the pocky game. I'm sure most of you know how it works, but Kuchiki san is from abroad so the game is new to him."

Kuchiki san gave the slightest nod in reply, which drew several loud sighs from the girls.

The anchor went on to explain the game. Though he didn't show it, Byakuya was filled with surprise and a bit of dread at the _physical _nature of this game, where apparently he and Ichigo had to take the two ends of a stick of biscuit (which the annoying girl anchoring the game show called "pocky") in their mouths and try to eat through more of it than the other, with no pushing or shoving, but as the stick grew shorter the person who pulled away first would lose.

For some reason that Byakuya could not quite understand, the girl had trailed off her sentence with an air of suspense while explaining that last bit.

But Byakuya could understand that the teenage girls were all taking a perverse interest in watching him and Kurosaki Ichigo fight over the stick of biscuit with their mouths. _Kurosaki Ichigo is already blushing. Teenagers. I still can't believe someone of my stature was thrown into a mission that involves associating with human teenagers!_

Whatever the ridiculous nature of the game though, Kuchiki Byakuya could not lose. He cannot lose at anything. Even if it's a silly game, his pride is on the line.

Ichigo had never played the pocky game with anyone, it was just so embarrassing. _Surely they aren't expecting Byakuya and I to keep going till we kiss!_ He blushed even more at the thought, breaking out in cold sweat. _No way. I'm sure one of us will freak out about being so close long before that. The ice prince can't possibly stand the thought of being close to a lesser being. And I...well I'm already freaking out about having to be that close to him!  
><em>

"Okay, let's get the game started then!" The anchor's excited voice rang out.

She held up a stick of pocky between Ichigo and Byakuya. Byakuya looked a little confused about how to proceed. Ichigo gulped and took the chocolate covered end in his mouth. Following his action, Byakuya took the other end in his mouth.

The crowd let out an elated cheer.

Renji could hardly believe he was watching his captain standing on stage with a pocky in his mouth, the other end in Ichigo's! _This is so weird!_

"On the count of three, go for it boys!" The anchor announced. The audience joined in the countdown. Ichigo's heart raced. "Three...two...one...GO!"

For a few moments, Ichigo and Byakuya kept very still, getting used to how close they were with only the pocky stick between them and pondering their strategy. The audience held their breath.

Ichigo finally made eye contact with Byakuya. The slate grey eyes were still cold and emotionless, with only a hint of uneasiness of the unusual situation the noble was in – and what seemed like a trace of challenge.

Byakuya looked straight into Ichigo's chocolate coloured eyes, which looked alarmed and nervous. He also noted how Ichigo was breathing harder than usual. _It seems I am at an advantage here.  
><em>

While the boy was still frozen in place, Byakuya nibbled forward on the pocky stick. Just one bite.

Despite the sudden loud cheer in the hall, Ichigo's mind went blank. _He's even closer than before now! What do I do?  
><em>

Byakuya watched the chocolate brown eyes widen. Ichigo noticed the change in the grey eyes as a look of slight smugness set in. Byakuya took another bite forward. Ichigo snapped out of his daze. _The bastard wants to win this. He knows I'm nervous! He's challenging me, is he?  
><em>

Driven by a sudden rush of courage, Ichigo nibbled forward on the pocky stick too.

_I see, he's starting to fight back, _thought Byakuya, observing the bolder look in Ichigo's eyes.

For a while, they kept still, staring each other down, the best of their unfailing Shinigami reflexes on the alert for the slightest attempt of the next move by the other, in a battle almost as nerve wrecking as the most serious sword battles either of them have been in._  
><em>

Synchronously sensing the other's movement, they both bit forward once more.

Only a few centimetres of the pocky stick remained between them.

The audience was bursting with excitement and applause. Renji's eyes were popping out of their sockets. But Ichigo and Byakuya were completely unaware.

They were only aware of each other and the shrinking stick of pocky between them.

Ichigo's sudden burst of courage subsided again. His heart was threatening to jump out of his ribcage at how close he was to Byakuya now. So close, in front of the entire school. So close, that Byakuya's intoxicating scent filled every bit of the air he was breathing, to the last inch of his lungs. He was breathing hard now. So close, that he could only stare at Byakuya's breathtakingly perfect face framed in that silky black hair. The stunning grey eyes. The straight flawless nose. The aristocratic cheekbones. The beautiful lips wrapped sinfully around the other end of the pocky.

Byakuya noticed the nervousness growing in the boy. Their proximity was disconcerting indeed, and it was obvious how it was affecting Ichigo. Byakuya carefully scanned that incredibly handsome face that was so close to him. The alarm, apprehension and awe in the lovely brown eyes. The little bead of sweat trickling from the orange hairline at the forehead. The intriguing blush deepening on those sexy cheeks. The delectable lips closed around the chocolate covered end of the pocky.

Byakuya knew he had to think fast of a way to settle this before Ichigo heard how fast his heart was starting to beat. Before his spiraling attraction to Ichigo became evident in front of the enormous crowd of people around them. Before his well bred control acquired over his lifetime simply caved in because of the orange haired temptation in front of him.

To end this game, and to win, he had to make Kurosaki Ichigo pull away from him first.

He needed to make the boy's nervousness increase even more, and snap him out of the trance with which he was staring at him.

Kuchiki Byakuya had an idea.

He was not allowed to push or shove. But he could pull. He pulled gently, placing his hands on either side of Ichigo's waist, watching his eyes widen and his breath hitch. He was hoping Ichigo would move away from him at this, but that was not the case. Then, Byakuya took a step forward.

With his keen senses high on alert, Ichigo stepped back at the exact same time, but they kept the distance of the pocky the same, so he was not really "pulling away first". But wait, he had just backed into something – probably the table on which the lottery box had been kept on stage.

Then, suddenly, Byakuya's grip on his waist tightened. Before Ichigo knew what was happening, Byakuya had turned them around so that the noble now had his back to the table.

_He's up to something, he has a plan_...thought Ichigo, confused. He focused his concentration in keeping the pocky the same distance between them.

And it stayed the same distance between them. Except that in the bat of eyelid, Byakuya lay down on the table, pulling Ichigo along with him so that the orange haired Substitute Shinigami now lay on top of the Sixth Squad Captain.

The pocky was the same distance between them, still. No one had lost yet. Byakuya had pulled back but not away, for he had pulled Ichigo along with him.

And so, Ichigo found himself lying on top of Kuchiki Byakuya, in front of the entire school. Of course, he wasn't aware of anything around him right now. As he barely supported himself on his trembling knees and hands, all his focus was completely on what was underneath him.

Byakuya's gorgeous pale face breathing in the air he was breathing out. Byakuya's black hair spread out around his head, on either side of which were Ichigo's hands. Byakuya's grey eyes in a smouldering gaze, locking him in place. Byakuya was breathing faster now. Ichigo could not believe where he was or how he got there, but he couldn't imagine another place where he'd rather be.

But suddenly, Byakuya's hands cupped the back of his head, and Ichigo was pulled in closer to the noble who took another tiny bite of the pocky. In the shock of what was happening, Ichigo's knees which had been on either side of Byakuya's hips gave away and he now found himself lying completely over the Shinigami's body.

They both went very still now, barely keeping the pocky in place. Had their bodies always been this warm? They were burning up in each other's heat. Why was it so hard to breathe?

Still fighting to keep his expression blank, except for the fire in his eyes that only Ichigo could see now, Byakuya felt his control all but shattering as the boy suddenly gave in and completely draped over him now.

He had to act fast or the game was up. Placing his hands now on Ichigo's shoulders, Byakuya lifted his own head off the table and took another nibble of the pocky.

Ichigo froze. He couldn't will his body into moving off Byakuya's. He tried not to lose himself in the firm, lithe muscular body lying below his. And then, Byakuya's face moved even closer, biting forwards on the pocky.

The next bite would bring their lips together.

Ichigo nearly stopped breathing.

Byakuya's hands pressed a bit harder on his shoulder, as if signaling that he was about to make another move. Then, the noble's lips started moving forwards, towards his. So close. Almost touching.

Ichigo gasped and pulled away, practically jumping off the table in shock.

The crowd erupted, cheering and applauding till their voices and hands were sore.

Ichigo had lost. Byakuya had won.

Ichigo stood frozen where he had jumped off to. His breathing and heartbeat were exploding. His face was completely red.

Byakuya impassively and gracefully sat up and got down from the table as he finished the last bit of the pocky, as though he had not nearly made out with a human high school student and Substitute Shinigami in front of a huge audience and his vice captain.

Of course, Byakuya had known Ichigo would pull away when their lips got close. That was why he had used that last strategy. And as he had calculated, the boy had pulled away. _But what if ...he hadn't pulled away?_

Byakuya felt something raging inside him, something other than annoyance at how loud the crude audience was being, something he did not want to think about.

It took a lot more of his control than usual, to keep his cold facade on right now. He spent a few more minutes on stage being rewarded the winner's prize – a stuffed toy in the shape of a rabbit that Byakuya decided he would send to Rukia via Renji.

_Renji...he witnessed this incident from the front row. I wonder how he took it._Byakuya stole a miniscule glance at his vice captain, whose face seemed permanently sculpted into an expression of shock, his mouth gaping and his tattooed brows disappearing into his bandana.

Renji barely registered his Taichou evaluating his expression. His head was still spinning. Never in his life had Abarai Renji imagined that he would see Kuchiki Byakuya, the head of the noble Kuchiki clan and the captain of the Sixth Squad, fight for dominance over pocky with Kurosaki Ichigo. That he would see Kuchiki Byakuya pull Ichigo to lie down over him on a table on stage in front of an audience. That he would have to see, and surely never be able to erase that image, of Kuchiki Byakuya and Kurosaki Ichigo's lips almost touching.

Suddenly, Renji wished the ground would open up and swallow him alive, because he did not want to have to interact with his captain or his good friend now, and certainly not both at once.

_Taichou acts differently in the World of The Living. Make that, he acts like I would never be able to imagine him acting in Soul Society!_ Thought Renji. _Is it because the demands of his position in society are less when he's here? Is this Kuchiki Taichou enjoying some freedom?_

Enjoying? _Wait, did he actually enjoy doing what he just did with Ichigo? Eww. Scrap that thought, I'm not going there!_

"Renji, we are leaving." The captain's deep voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

Kuchiki Taichou and Ichigo were heading out of the hall, with every pair of eyes on them. They maintained a much larger distance than necessary between them as they stiffly walked to the doorway. And they acted far colder towards each other than was usual.

* * *

><p><strong>Next Chapter:<strong> **Music**

**A/N:**The chapter became very long. I was writing after a long time, and enjoying it too much!

I'm hoping for reviews – do let me know if I've lost my touch!


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: **A hundred, and more, reviews! I'm flattered. Thank you all! Sorry for not being able to update sooner.

I'll reward my patient readers and especially the reviewers with _ice-cream_. Read on and you'll see!

**Chapter 13: Music**

It was a sunny morning at Karakura High School. The grounds were full of students, buzzing with energy and excitement on the second day of the School Festival. Ichigo had been really sleepy when he got out of bed, because he found it difficult to sleep that night with the pocky incident of the game show coming back to haunt him, and the extra awkwardness between him and Byakuya leaving the atmosphere dripping with icy coldness. But his sleepiness was wearing off now as he started looking forward to the day ahead. The music competition was scheduled for later that day, Ichigo was slightly nervous but very enthusiastic about participating.

He was also looking forward to Byakuya and Renji's performance, it was surely going to make his day. Yes, Kurosaki Ichigo could not imagine what could be better than watching Kuchiki Byakuya make a fool of himself on stage. Even if it meant having to watch his friend Renji go down with him, Ichigo was willing to accept that for enjoying Byakuya's debacle especially if it was on the same stage where he would do so much better himself. _Arrogant, stuck-up ice-prince who thinks he's the best at everything! He'll see today. I'll show him what it's like to have his ass kicked again. Maybe he'll finally stop being so smug! _Ichigo could barely hold back an evil chuckle as he anticipated the laughs to come later that day. For the last few days, Byakuya and Renji had been going off to practice their song, and the rest of the time they had their headphones plugged in as they listened to the song. Ichigo had to admit he was curious, but he was waiting up eagerly for the actual failure live on stage!

"Ichigo! Over there! Are they selling ice-cream?" Abarai Renji's excited voice snapped Ichigo out of his thoughts.

"Aren't you too _old _to be so excited about a school festival?" Ichigo asked wryly.

"Shut up! I haven't had ice-cream for so long. They don't make ice-cream in Soul Society. Come on, let's go to that stall," replied Renji, tugging Ichigo's elbow. Then he turned to his captain, Kuchiki Byakuya who was standing serenely nearby, but with a face devoid of expression except slight boredom. "Taichou, would you like to have some ice-cream too?"

Byakuya looked in their direction at being addressed by his vice-captain. "Ice cream?"

Renji noticed the barest hint of confusion on his captain's face. "Taichou, have you never had ice-cream before?" He asked, shocked.

"No."

Renji now turned to the orange-haired teenager on his other side. "Ichigo! Kuckhi Taichou has been here quite a while, why didn't you ever make him taste ice-cream?"

"I could not be bothered showing your ice-prince captain icy desserts! His attitude should be enough coldness for everyone around." Ichigo replied gruffly, rolling his eyes. _Treating Byakuya to ice-cream, as if I have nothing better to do with my life._

Byakuya did not even spare a glare at the jibe from Ichigo. _His impertinence is not worth my time. Uncouth brat!_

"Taichou, anyone who visits the World of The Living should try ice-cream! It's amazing! Let's go, you can try some now."

"Renji, I do not like sweets." Came the cold reply.

"You should really try ice-cream Taichou! They make it in different flavours. Come on, I'm sure you'll find a flavour you like," urged Renji as he started walking towards the ice-cream stall.

Byakuya gave an unnoticeable sigh and started walking with his vice-captain, giving in to his childish insistence to get him to try this _ice-cream._ It was better to do that than stand here putting up with the orange-haired brat's bad attitude.

Ichigo gave a very noticeable exasperated sigh as he walked along with the Shinigami heading for the _strange desserts from the human world. _He once again found himself wondering why he was babysitting two captain-class Shinigami when he was supposed to be enjoying himself at his high school festival!

As they walked to the ice-cream stall, a group of students standing nearby burst into giggles, most of them girls. They pointed their cellphone screens to one another and giggled again. Ichigo eyed them suspiciously. A slight frown appeared on Byakuya's face.

Renji cleared his throat.

"It appears you know the reason those teenagers are laughing, Renji." Byakuya said, not hiding the annoyance in his voice.

_Oh shit, what gave it away?_ Renji wondered whether or not to tell them. But a chilling glare from his captain hastened his decision. "Erm, well ...at the game show yesterday a lot of the students videoed the, er, _pocky game_," Renji froze a little as the mention of those two words brought out killer glares from both his companions followed by a chill in the air, "You know, on their cellphones. It seems those videos and pictures have become a favourite topic of the students here."

"What the hell?" Ichigo's loud exclamation and angry red face only brought more stares in their direction.

Byakuya looked like he would gladly release Senbonzakura Kageyoshi on the entire school.

Renji stood frozen for a while, wondering what to do. Since last night, pocky had almost become a taboo word for those two and mentioning the _incidents _of the previous day made them both angry – which was obvious in Ichigo because he nearly threw a fit each time, but in Kuchiki Taichou it was just his scary silent anger. "Hey, we're here." Renji flashed his grin, hoping the ice-cream would provide a welcome distraction. "Let's see what flavours they have."

The three of them looked at the ten ice cream flavours on display. Renji was ecstatic. Ichigo now looked quite interested. Byakuya appeared to be calculating – intrigued yet worried.

"I'll have chocolate, please," Ichigo said to the girl selling the ice-cream. "Two scoops."

"Kuchiki taichou, which one would you like to try?" Renji asked warily.

After a few seconds of silence, Byakuya replied. "They have banana flavour."

It was a strange reply, but then Renji remembered hearing from Rukia that bananas were Kuchiki taichou's favourite fruit. "Yes, yes they do. You should try it," he said happily and turned to the girl. "Two scoops of banana please."

"What about you, Renji?" asked Ichigo.

Renji excitedly looked at the ice-creams and finally decided. "_Ichigo!_" _ (1) _Renji had just chosen a strawberry flavoured ice-cream.

In the joy of his reunion with ice-cream, he did not notice that both Ichigo and Byakuya were glaring daggers at him now. For different reasons.

The trio were soon handed their ice-cream cones, which Byakuya insisted on paying for. Now, it was time to indulge in some cold creamy goodness!

Ichigo took a lick of his chocolate ice-cream and felt a new good mood washing all over him. _This is delicious! _But before he could continue enjoying his ice-cream, a strange noise from Renji drew his attention.

"Mmm, _Ichigo! _So good!" Renji was in utter bliss as he eagerly licked his ice-cream, unaware of anything around him. That is, until Ichigo landed a kick on his backside. "Ow! What the hell was that for? I'm trying to enjoy my ice-cream here you moron!"

"Stop saying my name in that creepy way, pineapple-head!" Ichigo said angrily.

"Shut up, I wasn't talking about you. It's not my fault you were named strawberry!"

"I am not named strawberry! Ichigo means the one who protects!"

"Well if you're not strawberry then stop getting between me and my strawberry ice-cream!" Renji went back to relishing his treat.

Byakuya was standing watching, wide-eyed. He had first cringed at the inappropriate noise Renji was making while saying "_Ichigo_." And then he was struck with disgust and horror at the way his two companions were eating their ice-cream - Renji was eagerly running his tongue over the pink ice-cream. _Apparently the way to consume this food is to lick it. How unsightly and indecorous! Am I supposed to forsake my etiquette and pride for eating ice-cream?_

"Byakuya, why aren't you eating your ice-cream, it's going to melt!" Ichigo asked the noble.

Byakuya looked at his ice-cream cone. Sure enough, the banana flavoured ice cream was starting to melt, threatening to start dripping. "I'm...I'm supposed to lick this?" He asked. "That's bad manners."

Ichigo and Renji stared at him for a while, and then the former burst out laughing and Renji was visibly holding back chuckles. "Taichou, it's not bad manners to lick ice-cream. It's the only way to have it. It's how everyone eats ice-cream. Don't worry about it."

Renji was doing his best to sound reassuring. Between his words and the ice-cream about to start dripping from the rim of the cone, Byakuya decided to go for it.

Ichigo watched as Byakuya tentatively brought his ice-cream cone to his lips, and then a pink tongue peeked out only enough to lick cautiously at the pale yellowish banana ice-cream. The lips then drew back a little, as Byakuya judged his first taste, not aware of the fact that he had just licked some more of the ice-cream off his bottom lip.

Ichigo gulped. _Why does he look so...sinfully good?_

Byakuya found that the banana ice-cream tasted surprisingly good _Much like the fruit, but sweeter. However, the coldness makes the sweet taste tolerable. Interesting concept indeed._

Byakuya was now getting the hang of eating ice-cream. He did not hesitate to bring out his tongue to lick at it again, even stopping the drop which was about to spill down the side of the cone.

Ichigo held his breath and watched Byakuya's actions in detail, not even missing the subtle way the noble licked his lips clean after each time he licked his ice-cream. For one thing, he had never seen someone look so classy while eating ice-cream. For another, the sight of Byakuya licking the ice-cream was dangerously sexy. Ichigo felt his body heating up again. He did not want to be attracted to the arrogant noble but it was impossible not to be attracted to him when he looked like that. It was impossible not to think very dirty thoughts.

After another lick at the ice-cream, Byakuya looked up at him. Ichigo found himself mesmerized by the beautiful grey eyes once again. He also found a smug look of realization creeping onto Byakuya's otherwise expressionless face. Keeping their eyes locked, Byakuya brought the ice-cream to his mouth again, first letting his lips touch the top of the ice-cream gently and then bringing his tongue out a little and licking it. A bit of stray ice-cream had remained at the corner of his mouth, where Ichigo was staring now. Byakuya calmly brought out his handkerchief and wiped it off, and then he said, "Kurosaki Ichigo, _your_ ice-cream is melting."

Byakuya's deep voice snapped Ichigo out of his trance and he found that his ice-cream was indeed melting. The chocolate ice-cream was dripping along the cone and was even on his fingers, and he simply had been too distracted to notice. "Damn it!" He exclaimed, and hurriedly salvaged his ice-cream with a few quick licks.

Byakuya found he couldn't quite help staring too, as the orange haired _strawberry_ ran his tongue along the side of the cone to lap up the dripping ice-cream. _He looks disturbingly inviting. No, what am I thinking! I must stop!_

"Oh no, it even dripped to my hand!" Ichigo said in frustration, looking at his now chocolate ice-cream coated hand.

"I thought you said it is not good to waste chocolate, Kurosaki Ichigo." Byakuya said.

Ichigo glared at him. "Shut up, Byakuya. This is all...," he stopped himself before saying the words _your fault. _"Err..this is alright. It can happen with ice-cream." He hurriedly picked up a couple of paper napkins from the ice-cream stall and wiped his hand.

As they continued to finish off their ice-cream, Ichigo and Byakuya continued keeping their eyes on each other, in a cold challenge that was for some reason, still making them feel very hot.

Renji was too absorbed in his strawberry ice-cream to take notice. He also did not notice his captain's disapproving glances at his ecstasy over the strawberry flavoured treat. Once he was done, he noticed that his captain had just finished his ice-cream too. _It's interesting being around Kuchiki Taichou while he's on this mission. He acts so differently from his usual self at Soul Society_, thought Renji. He wondered what he would tell Rukia when she asked him how her brother was doing, once he returned to the Seretei. _"Rukia, your brother is having ice-cream, singing on stage at the school festival, and almost making out with Ichigo in front of the entire school."_ Renji was quite sure Rukia would only respond with a few punches and kicks to admonish him for lying.

More giggles from a few more girls nearby drew Renji from his thoughts. Annoyed, Ichigo looked at them with a scowl and the girls decided to walk away before he looked angrier. "What is wrong with these people!" Ichigo exclaimed.

"These human teenagers are rather exasperating." Kuchiki taichou spoke up next to Renji, voicing same thoughts as his vice-captain.

"Yeah, kids these days have their heads in the gutter." Renji said, shaking his head. He noticed that Ichigo was a little distant from them as they walked past the stalls, and on an impulse Renji decided to do something that could have scary consequences. "Er...Taichou I was wondering if I could ask you something?"

Renji did not get a reply to his question. His captain's face was cold and expressionless as he silently walked on. Renji deduced that this silence was his permission to continue.

"There was something these schoolkids were asking me about," Renji could only hope he would not be engulfed in a thousand deadly blades after going on to ask his question and he completed the sentence in one breath "Taichou, was there an incident involving you and Ichigo and a storage closet?"

Byakuya turned to face Renji, who went white in fear. He remained silent for some time. Then he replied expressionlessly. "Yes. The teachers found us in a storage closet when I was teaching Ichigo about safe sex."

Renji's jaw dropped at his captain's words. _Kuchiki taichou just talked about sex! And he just said...he was teaching Ichigo in the storage closet..._Renji's mind completely blanked out from shock after that, unable to think any further. He stood gaping, and going red and gulping like fish out of water.

Byakuya stood watching his vice-captain's pathetic state. Inwardly, he felt deeply amused. People did not know this about him, and strangely even Renji had not figured it out, but it was a source of great entertainment to Kuchiki Byakuya to mess with Renji. The shocked expressions on the red-head's face as he reacted comically to unexpected words from his captain were simply priceless, every single time.

Byakuya had picked his words carefully so as to throw his vice-captain into utter shock and disbelief. If there weren't people around, Byakuya would have spared a smile now. He turned around and started walking again.

"Renji, aren't you coming?" He asked calmly.

It took Renji a long time to collect himself from his astonishment, horror and confusion.

* * *

><p>Ice-cream and storage closets were long forgotten by all three of them, however, in the buzzing school auditorium as the main attraction of the day, the music competition was starting. Ichigo and Renji were getting butterflies in their stomachs, as traces of stage fright settled in. Byakuya seemed unperturbed as usual.<p>

Ichigo was going to be the third performer on stage, while Byakuya and Renji were scheduled for the end of the show, according to the order in which participants had signed up for the event. It was with what seemed like surprising speed that the first two performances were over, and Kurosaki Ichigo was announced onto the stage.

Byakuya had to admit to himself that he had been rather intrigued to watch the boy perform. He was curious to see if Ichigo had musical talent, a skill in a field other than being a Shinigami. Byakuya watched as Ichigo came on the stage, wearing a purple shirt that Byakuya would have expected to clash terribly with the orange hair but he actually looked breathtaking.

_Breathtaking? What is wrong with me? _Byakuya felt annoyed with himself.

Ichigo took the seat behind the microphone with his guitar. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves, though his nerves acted up again as he noticed Byakuya observing him from one of the front rows. Next to the noble, Renji flashed him a huge grin and a thumbs up.

With everything in place, and the audience waiting eagerly, Ichigo started his performance.

Byakuya felt his breath halt momentarily as Kurosaki Ichigo's voice played over the microphone.

"_Soredemo_

_Subete ni hi ga noboridaseba mata aruki hajimete_

_Kasanaru mainichi omoide ni naru_

_Kokoro ni tsumoru_

_Asu ga kuru tabi mae no hou ga miete..._"

"But even so

When the sun is climbing over everything, I will start walking again.

My everyday is piling up, becoming memories

Piling up in my heart  
>Every time morning comes, I look at what's right in front of me..."<p>

The gentle smooth tone in Kurosaki Ichigo's usually gruff voice surprised Byakuya. He had never expected the orange haired teenager to sound so good while singing. He hadn't expected the boy to sing a slow paced melodious song.

"_Irodori hajimeteku_

_usureru sasai na nani ka ni kizuki..."_

"The coloring begins

It's fading, slightly I sense something..."

The emotion evident in Ichigo's voice was enchanting. Was he singing this song from his heart? Was he channeling his feelings through his voice?

"O_moidasenai koto ga hitotsu furueru tabi tachidomatteitemo_

_namida no ato no namae oboeteiru nara sore ga subete darou_

_hajime kara kawaranai 'kotoba' ..."_

"Every time things that you couldn't remember increase, even if you've stopped and even if you're standing there

That 'name' behind the tears, if I could remember it then nothing else would matter

It's the unchangeable 'word' since the beginning."

Byakuya found himself absorbed in the song now. It seemed like something Kurosaki Ichigo would sing for Rukia. For the first time, Byakuya realized he was envious of the bond his sister had with Ichigo. These feelings surprised him. _Envious? Why? Because of the strong bond of friendship between those two, which is something I don't have?_ They owe each other so much, and have done so much for each other. Was the boy really singing this with Rukia in mind?

"_Ima made ijou ni kokoro no koe made kikoeteshimaisou de_

_kakushite kakushite tsuyogaru koto ga fushizen ni naru..._"

"More than ever I feel like I could even hear my heart's voice

I keep on hiding and hiding it but then it makes me unnatural to pretend to be tough..."

Then again, it sounded more like Ichigo was singing about himself, and the inner battles he goes through. Byakuya felt the envious feelings get replaced by a pang of sadness.

"_Umaku ienai koto ga umaku unazukenai koto ga tsuzuitara_

_hitomi wo mitsumeta toki kokoro no doko ka de hibikasereba ii_

_hajime kara kawaranai 'kotoba'_

_kokoro ni kyori ga aru to shitara_

_ishikishisugita omoi no sei darou_

_'itsumo doori' ga kaettekitara_

_mata hitotsu ni naru..._"

"I couldn't say things well, I couldn't nod in approval properly, if this continues,

the moment I gaze at your eyes it echoes somewhere inside my heart

That unchangeable "word" since the beginning

If there is space between our hearts

it must be the fault of this over conscious feeling

If we're back to "our usual selves"

again we'll become one..."

Byakuya's pang of sadness was now replaced in by a sudden impression that these words were about him. _The moment I gaze at your eyes, it echoes somewhere inside my heart..._ it sounded like a familiar feeling he did not know he was experiencing on this mission. _If there is space between our hearts it must be the fault of this over conscious feeling._ Flashes of incidents since he arrived in Karakura town came to his mind. _If we're back to our usual selves again we'll become one_. Indeed, as long as he was on this mission, Byakuya and Ichigo had not quite been their usual selves. _Become one?_

Then, he realized where his thoughts had strayed, and Byakuya chided himself for giving in to emotions. _What is wrong with me? Why am I acting in such an unbecoming, immature way?_ Certainly, Ichigo's singing voice is wonderful. But it should not make Kuchiki Byakuya lapse into useless emotions, surely.

He tried to block off his mind as Ichigo's voice sang the last words of the song.

"_Egao no naka no 'namae' oboeteiru nara sore ga subete darou_

_hajime kara kawaranai 'kotoba'_

_kawaranai 'kotoba'_ "

"That 'name' inside that smile, if I could remember it then nothing else would matter.

It's the unchangeable 'word' since the beginning

Unchangeable word "

Indeed, this song reflected Kurosaki Ichigo's admirable unfaltering resolve, which was his strength that made him rise above his own pain and sadness. His unchangeable word, his promise to protect. Unchangeable word, that was Kurosaki Ichigo.

The song had ended, the audience was cheering in eager appreciation. Byakuya was brought out of his strange trance as Renji spoke up while clapping excitedly.

"Wow, didn't know the strawberry was this good at singing! Ichigo did really well, didn't he captain?"

Byakuya was glad Renji had not noticed his lapse into his thoughts. He gave a slight nod in agreement.

After finishing his song, Ichigo bowed to the audience, and it did not escape his attention that the only person not applauding was Byakuya. He felt something strange, but was not sure whether it was indignation or disappointment. _Like I care what the stuck up arrogant ice prince thinks!_

* * *

><p>Several enjoyable performances later, it was finally time for the last song. Ichigo almost rubbed his hands in glee as he sat up attentively in his front row seat. What could be more entertaining than watching two Shinigami mess up on stage?<p>

Kuchiki Byakuya and Abarai Renji were announced on stage. The lights dimmed. After a few moments of silence, melodious piano music filled the hall.

_That tune, it sounds familiar_, thought Ichigo. But before he could complete his thought, the spotlight focused on stage and his jaw dropped.

The skillful piano player was none other than Kuchiki Byakuya!

Dressed in a black shirt and white formal pants, simple yet elegant, Byakuya's face was calm as his graceful fingers played the piano – _as though he's been doing this all his life! _Ichigo had not even gotten over the first shock yet, but already, Byakuya was about to sing into his microphone.

_"Aisaretai demo aisou to shinai _

_Sono kurikaeshi no naka wo samayotte _

_Boku ga mitsuketa kotae wa hitotsu kowakutatte kizutsuitatte _

_Suki na hito ni wa suki tte tsutaerunda..._"

"I want to be loved, but you don't seem to love me

I'm wandering aimlessly within this repetition

And the answer I found is only one; that even if I'm scared, even if I'm hurt

I'll say 'I love you' to the person I love..."

Time had stopped for Ichigo. It felt like the world had stopped revolving. His heart had stopped beating. He forgot all about breathing. _Oh my God._

Byakuya's voice was so beautiful as he sang those words! Ichigo's mind registered somewhere that this was one of his favorite songs, followed by another shock of realization that the noble's voice made it sound even better than the original. _But how is he singing so well? No, not just well, he sounds so perfect. _His rich deep voice had captivated the entire audience, smooth and melodious and flawless. _Like he's been singing love songs like this all his life!_

Ichigo was not the only one taken by surprise at Byakuya's talented voice, everyone in the hall was stunned at the best voice they had heard all evening. The surprises were far from over though, as the spotlight now fell on Renji.

"_Anata ga boku wo aishite iru ka aishite inai ka _

_Nante koto wa mou docchi demo iin da _

_Donna ni negai nozomou ga _

_Kono sekai ni wa kaerarenu mono ga takusan aru darou _

_Sou soshite boku ga anata wo aishiteru to iu jijitsu dake wa _

_Dare ni mo kaerarenu shinjitsu dakara..."_

"Do you love me? Do you not love me?

As for things like that, it's fine either way

No matter how much I wish

There are many unchangeable things in this world, right?

That's right, and simply the reality which says that I love you

Is the truth because it can't be changed by anybody..."

Another shocking blow to Ichigo. Renji sounded good – not as heavenly as Byakuya, but really good! _The red pineapple can actually sing! He sounds nothing like an idiot! _He could hear a second collective gasp from the audience as Renji's manly voice confidently sang those lines. Renji was wearing a white shirt and black pants, and the same black and white striped tie as Byakuya's. There was no doubt that their choice of wardrobe had been picked by the captain, elegantly coordinated and tastefully simple. _Wait a minute, is that –_ Ichigo could not believe Renji was even playing a guitar! _How the hell..._

Ichigo was trying to recover his train of thought from all his shock, finding a little strangeness in the fact that Byakuya and Renji, two of the most formidable Shinigami of the Gotei 13, were actually singing a love song on stage. Their voices smoothly tuned to the romance of the song too! It was something he could never imagine to be possible.

_ "Sen no yoru wo koete anata ni tsutaetai _

_Tsutaenakya naranai koto ga aru _

_Aisaretai demo aisou to shinai _

_Sono kurikaeshi no naka wo samayotte..."_

"I want to overcome thousands of nights and tell you

For it's something that I must tell you

I want to be loved, but you don't seem to love me

I'm wandering aimlessly within this repetition..."

Byakuya was singing again. Ichigo stared at the noble. His face was as impassive as usual, almost cold and devoid of emotion – but the song he was singing in effortless perfection held just the right amount of feeling. His voice had the beauty of a thousand cherry blossoms dancing in the spring breeze. Of a powerful waterfall gracefully pouring down.

"_Boku ga mitsuketa kotae wa hitotsu kowakutatte kizutsuitatte _

_Suki na hito ni wa suki tte tsutaeru n da _

_Kimochi wo kotoba ni suru no wa kowai yo demo _

_Suki na hito ni wa suki tte tsutaeru n da..."_

"And the answer I found is only one; that even if I'm scared, even if I'm hurt

I'll say 'I love you' to the person I love

Putting these feelings into words is such a scary thing

But I'll say 'I love you'to the person I love..."

Ichigo's initial shock had leveled down a little, and he could pay more attention to detail now. To how serene Byakuya looked, how coordinated he was with his fingers on the piano and his captivating deep voice. To the words he was singing – Ichigo felt goose bumps hearing Byakuya say "I love you" like that. _What is wrong with me? _Ichigo tried to get his racing heart under control.

He was slightly relieved that Renji's voice was on the microphone now.

"_Kono hiroi sekai de meguri au yorokobi wo kotoba jya ii arawasenai ne _

_Dakara bokutachi wa hohoemi _

_Iro azayaka ni sugiru aki wo doremi de utatte _

_Fuyu wo se ni haru no komorebi wo machi _

_Atarashiku umare kawaru dareka wo mamoreru youni to..."_

"In this wide world, I can't express the joy of being with you with words very well

That's why we smile,

And sing do-re-mi in the autumn filled with vivid colors

With winter at our backs, waiting for the sunlight shining through the leaves in spring

To become born anew, in a way that we're able to protect someone..."

Renji was singing with a confident smile on his face that showed he knew the audience, especially the girls were thoroughly impressed with him. Ichigo started feeling angry at Renji now. _That idiot, why didn't he ever tell me he can sing like that? I'm going to beat the crap out of him after this! _And the duet by the captain and vice captain was absolutely in synch, the timing accurate and the delivery immaculate. Sure, there was a reason why those two run a squad of the Gotei 13 so well. _But since when, and how, did they also perform together on stage so well?_

As Renji's lines ended, Byakuya's voice came on again and Ichigo held his breath, subconsciously not wanting to miss a moment of it.

"_Kita michi to yukisaki furikaereba itsudemo okubyou na me wo shite ita boku _

_Mukiaitai demo sunao ni narenai _

_Massugu ni aite wo aisenai hibi wo _

_Kurikaeshite wa hitoribocchi wo iyagatte _

_Ano hi no boku wa mukizu na mama de hito wo aisou to shite ita..."_

"When I turn back at the road I came from and the way ahead, I always had the eyes of a coward

I want to face you, but I can't be honest

As for the days I repeated not being able to straightforwardly love the other,

I hated being alone

Back then I seemed to love in an unhurt way..."

_Byakuya singing about being in love. _Ichigo's brain hurt from the absurdity of it, but it was a good kind of absurd. _No wait, it's Byakuya and Renji singing about being in love..._Well, _that _was definitely a bad kind of absurd. "I hated being alone. Back then I seemed to love in an unhurt way" Was Byakuya singing with Hisana in mind? Ichigo felt a jolt of horror when he suddenly felt jealous of Hisana-san. _Jealous of a lady in Soul Socitey who died over half a century ago? Jealous because Byakuya loved her?_ This was just way too much for Ichigo to process. Sure, Byakuya sounded like a dream when he sang. But surely Ichigo had retained enough sanity to not feel like this from just the man's voice!

He tried to deviate from those thoughts. Thinking instead of how the song was about unrequited love. He couldn't imagine someone like Byakuya ever having to face unrequited love. _At least not from his end, I'm sure he's left a lot of girls swooning, but not returning their affection_. But then he remembered it was Renji who had picked out the song. Could Renji have been in love with someone who did not return his feelings? _RUKIA? _..._No way! No way! Absolutely no way!_ Ichigo calmed himself down, the song was probably just a random pick from the few songs of the living world that Renji knew of. In fact, the songs Renji knew of were mostly introduced to him by Ichigo himself. A half amused voice spoke up in his head now. _Well, as long as they aren't singing about each other. _Now_ that _would be truly disturbing!

The song was drawing to an end now, and Ichigo focused once again on Byakuya's voice.

"_Sen no yoru wo koete ima anata ni ai ni yukou _

_Tsutaenakya naranai koto ga aru _

_Aisaretai demo aisou to shinai _

_Sono kurikaeshi no naka wo samayotte..."_

"I'll overcome thousands of nights to reach you now

There is something that I must tell you

I want to be loved, but you don't seem to love me

I'm wandering aimlessly within this repetition..."

It was a beautiful thought, waiting for someone for a thousand nights. It had never sounded more beautiful than when Byakuya sang about it. "I want to be loved, but you don't seem to love me." Did Byakuya really want to be loved? Ichigo had often wondered before about Byakuya's loneliness. The cold nature that Byakuya kept himself locked inside surely must have its repercussions. Would someone like Byakuya ever reach out for love?

"_Boku ga mitsuketa kotae wa hitotsu kowakutatte kizutsuitatte _

_Suki na hito ni wa suki tte tsutaeru n da _

_Sono omoi ga kanawanakutatte suki na hito ni suki tte tsutaeru _

_Sore wa kono sekai de ichiban suteki na koto sa."_

"And the answer I found is only one; that even if I'm scared, even if I'm hurt

I'll say "I love you" to the person I love

Even if these feelings aren't returned, saying "I love you" to the person you love

That is the most beautiful thing in the world."

Indeed, it would be the most beautiful thing in the world if Byakuya said "I love you" to someone, in that breathtaking voice of his.

_Enough! I need to get a grip on myself. What is wrong with me?_ Ichigo was panicking at the previously unknown inner romantic that had popped out of him thanks to just one song.

The song had ended, and Byakuya and Renji were bowing for the audience which was now cheering so loudly the whole town could probably hear them! The last performance had been nothing short of incredible. The two _transfer students_ had stolen the show with their unexpectedly perfect musical skills. The cheers and applause refused to die down.

Byakuya glanced at the audience. They seemed elated. But what he was really looking at was Kurosaki Ichigo's shocked and confused face – his brown eyes wide and his mouth slightly open as he clapped his hands in a daze. The sight made Byakuya feel incredibly smug, and he purposely made eye contact with the orange haired brat to show him that self-satisfied expression. Ichigo had surely noticed, for he snapped out of his daze with a forced scowl on his face and looked away pointedly.

"Taichou, looks like we surprised the strawberry!" Renji spoke up next to him, laughing.

Soon, however, they found out that the strawberry was probably not too fond of surprises. He seemed downright angry.

"What the hell was that?" Ichigo asked darkly as the two Shinigami walked out of the hall with him, as people all around them were giggling and talking about that last performance.

"Eh? What's with that face, Ichigo?" Renji asked teasingly, putting an arm over Ichigo's shoulder and getting way too close to his face. "Didn't you like our performance? The whole school seemed to love it."

"Get out of my face!" Ichigo pushed off his redhead friend "And how the hell did you guys pull that off? Byakuya sang like a pro! There's no way you can learn to play the piano and guitar so well in less than a week!"

Renji burst out into laughter and even Byakuya looked at him with a distinctly amused expression.

"Ichigo, you are as stupid as you look, aren't you?" Renji managed to say while bellowing with laughter. "What makes you think I learnt this in a week? I've been singing since way before you were _born_!"

"Okay, okay. Well I can at least understand that you could have a hobby. But what about your boring taichou? Are you telling me he mastered playing the freaking _piano_ while training his bankai and memorizing kido spells and running his squad and being his clan leader and perfecting his snobbish attitude?" Ichigo asked, pointing to Byakuya.

Without turning to him, Byakuya replied. "Kurosaki Ichigo, I was raised as the heir to one of the four great noble families. I was meticulously trained in all forms of art. I do not see why it should surprise you that I excel in it."

_Right, I should have seen that lecture coming,_ thought Ichigo. "Never mind, I shouldn't have asked! I don't need to hear how good you think you are at everything." He said as he scowled defiantly at the noble who was glaring at him coldly. Ichigo just could not stand this arrogant noble Shinigami. Why did he have to be so perfect? Strong, intelligent, calm, collected, wise, refined, talented...and stunning. And sexy. With an amazing voice too! _And the worst attitude problem known to mankind and Shinigami. Why did he have to come here and mess with my head?_

Anger. Ichigo convinced himself that what he was feeling was anger.

Byakuya glared down the insolent human teenager that was scowling at him. He held those chocolate brown eyes in his unfaltering grey gaze, focused on the source of his frustration over this mission. This human, if he could even call him that, had not only defeated him once but had also saved Soul Society. He had an unbelievable amount of power and skill, and an unparalleled spirit and will to protect. Through all of this, he had a personality that was so straightforward that it was clear as crystal. He could almost be called innocent – if you did not take his terrible manners and absolute lack of respect into account. _His impertinence knows no bounds. And why does he have to be so attractive at the same time? And his voice was so mesmerizing when he sang. Why does he have the ability to break my patience and interfere with my emotions? Intolerable!_

Annoyance. Byakuya told himself that was what he was feeling.

After what seemed like an eternity to Renji, his captain and Ichigo finally broke their eye contact as Kuchiki Taichou turned and walked away. Ichigo let out a frustrated growl and walked off too.

_Scary_, thought Renji. _And awkward_. _I'm glad my job here is done. Better go collect my things and head back to Soul Society_.

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><p><strong>Next Chapter: Dance<strong>

(1): For anyone who didn't know, Ichigo means "strawberry" in Japanese. But it can also mean "the one who protects".

A/N: The songs in this chapter are character songs from Bleach. Ichigo's song is Kawaranai Kotoba from Bleach Beat Collection Fourth Session, Volume Four. Byakuya and Renji's song is Sen No Yoru Wo Koete from Bleach Concept Covers.

Do check them out if you haven't heard them! They really sound amazing.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: **It was difficult to write the descriptions in this chapter without being repetitive, and I was rather tired while writing this. I still did the best I could, for the sake of my readers. I hope you like it! Thank you all for the lovely reviews to the last chapter. You keep encouraging me to write better.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 14 : Dance<strong>

Kuchiki Byakuya glanced at his expensive watch and felt a flicker of irritation which he didn't show. School hours were not over yet. He was stuck at this high school festival for longer. He turned to ask Renji if there was anything he wanted to do here, only to find that his red-haired vice captain wasn't even with him! _Where has he gone off to now? Did he stop to flirt with some of these annoying schoolgirls?_

_Or perhaps he went off to be alone with Kurosaki Ichigo. _Byakuya did not notice how his frown deepened at that thought, and he was already turning back the way he came to start looking for his vice captain. Renji however, had kept his reiatsu properly lowered as one should, especially on missions to the World of the Living. Of course, Ichigo's reiatsu was spilling all over the place as usual. Byakuya assumed he would be able to trace Renji by locating Ichigo.

The pursuit of the orange-haired source of Byakuya's irritation brought the captain to a room within which music was blaring loudly. Byakuya restrained himself from sighing. These loud festivities were straining his patience. He longed to be back in the quiet serenity of his gardens at the Kuchiki manor. _How long will this God forsaken mission of mine continue? A man of my position should not have to deal with human high schools and teenagers! _Forcing himself to stay patient, or at least appear so, Byakuya opened the door and walked into the room.

For a few moments, he stood frozen in confusion. He had walked into a very large room which had been cleared of furniture but was rather crowded with people. The music was ridiculously loud, playing a track with a fast beat which was reverberating off the walls and the floor. The room was mostly dark, except for colored lights that lit up alternately, falling on the centre of the room which was marked out from the surroundings. The students were dancing in that area, and above them the lights reflected off some shining silvery globes.

_I see, this must be a dance floor, _concluded Kuchiki Byakuya. He had only heard and read of such things, but this was his first time seeing one in person. He was now standing among the crowd that surrounded the dance floor as he looked around hoping to spot Renji's red hair. But it seemed his vice captain was not in the crowd, or perhaps he couldn't locate him because of the lighting.

Orange. A flash of brilliant orange caught the corner of Byakuya's eyes, and by reflex he turned towards the source.

_Kurosaki Ichigo._ Byakuya's eyes went wide and he stifled a gasp at the sight that met his eyes. On the dance floor, dancing like there was no tomorrow, was Kurosaki Ichigo. And the sight of the way he moved with the music was absolutely glorious.

Byakuya could remember other instances when he found Ichigo presenting a beautiful sight. Such as on the battlefield, exuding power and determination. Dressed in the long black shihakusho and wielding the black blade of his bankai, his eyes reflecting the strength he gained for the will to protect others, his powerful body poised for battle, surrounded by his incredibly powerful reiatsu. Even in the midst of battle, Byakuya had not failed to notice the impressiveness of Ichigo's appearance. But Ichigo also appeared striking in his vulnerability. Such as on the occasion during this mission when he ran to apologize to Byakuya in the rain. His wide brown eyes had been full of insecurity and pleading, his face gave away how innocent he was at heart and how much it meant to him to rectify the mistakes he made in his anger, as they stood by the river in the rain which had soaked his clothes enough to adhere to his body, and his wet orange hair lay like a dying flame against that face which was looking so earnestly at Byakuya. Even when Ichigo was stubborn or angry, he still looked irresistible. And when Ichigo's scowl left his face for the times he smiled, it threatened to warm Byakuya's heart, which simply irritated noble. Yes, Byakuya knew Ichigo's appearance could be striking.

But never had he seen such a sight as this. On that dance floor, Ichigo did not have his usual inhibition or the need to act detached and reserved. His enjoyment was evident as he moved freely to the music, his fit body flexible as it fluidly followed the rhythm. He was holding nothing back, his arms, legs, shoulders, hips all danced as fast as the beat was going. His attractive facial features displayed a look of delight as his body swayed and the spikes of his orange hair took on different shades as the colored lights fell on them. Byakuya could not help but stare.

The noble Shinigami's feet took him to the very front of the crowd surrounding the dance floor, as he took in the sight. He kept his eyes focused on Ichigo, though he did register the group Ichigo was dancing with. The annoying girl, Inoue Orihime, seemed to be his partner for this dance and she appeared more than delighted. Ichigo's other friends were close by – the bespectacled Quincy boy Ishida, the girl Arisawa who had short black hair and was good friends with Ichigo, the boy Keigo who liked to vie for Ichigo's attention, and his usual companion Mizuiro, along with several others from the class. They all seemed to be having a good time.

"Excuse me, Kuchiki senpai," a female voice interfered with Byakuya's observations, though he did not remove his eyes from Ichigo. The voice continued, "We were wondering if you'd like to dance with us to the next song."

Byakuya did not bother to turn to the girls who were talking to him, let alone reply to them. They would surely go away if he ignored them. They were not worthy of a moment of his attention. And that attention was currently fixed elsewhere.

The girls who had bravely approached the stunningly handsome transfer student in the hope that they could dance with him, found their attempt crushed by his arrogant coldness. He simply stood there, inapproachable, unreadable, silent. His eyes seemed to be watching Kurosaki, and the girls found once again that the orange haired boy and the strange transfer student Abarai were the only ones whose existence was acknowledged by Kuchiki. There seemed to be no chance he was going to reply to them, so the girls walked away from him in disappointment, the very air about him making them feel inferior.

Byakuya briefly wondered if he should have taken up the offer so that he would be in closer proximity to Kurosaki Ichigo on that dance floor. There was, however, a problem. Kuchiki Byakuya had no idea what he was supposed to do on that dance floor. Yes, it was one of those rare situations where Kuchiki Byakuya was at a loss.

_This...this informal form of dancing in the human world. It seems so strange. These high school students seem comfortable doing it. But I would look out of place and awkward if I tried the same._ The head of the Kuchiki clan certainly did not want to appear foolish in front of a crowd of humans. _And in front of that brat Kurosaki Ichigo._

Byakuya was not an entire novice to the formal forms of dancing, he had been trained in those too. However, the dancing here was completely alien to him. And a complete clash with his image. Moving so freely and spontaneously with such fast music, without any predefined steps. Was that even possible while appearing calm, sophisticated, elegant and reserved? Byakuya was almost sure that he could not try this without doing it wrong, as much as it hurt his pride to admit it to himself. _The absurd ways of humans, _he thought.

While his mind still worked out the problem of the strange dancing customs, Byakuya went back to his main activity. Observing Kurosaki Ichigo on the dance floor. He was aware that he had come in here to look for Renji. _Well if he can't take care of himself, he would not have been my vice-captain. _Yes, looking for Renji was definitely a secondary priority.

Byakuya's grey eyes fixed their gaze upon the orange-haired subject of his attention, taking in every step made by those long lithe legs, every sashay of those perfect hips, every swaying of that tempting backside, every smooth move of the lean muscled arms, every bob of the head on those attractively shaped shoulders. Byakuya felt as though something was burning inside him. Rage, it had to be rage. For Kurosaki Ichigo's attractiveness was enraging him.

Byakuya was glaring at Ichigo now, but did not take his eyes off him.

Ichigo was having his best time at the school festival so far. He had finally shaken off the company of the two Shinigami from the Sixth Squad. And he was doing something he simply loved to do – letting go of all his worries on the dance floor. He didn't get to relax this way much, and he was certainly going to make the most of this opportunity. He felt free and light as his body followed the music, all his stress disappearing as he focused entirely on moving with the rhythm. If felt good. It was escape. Escape from all the frustration that had been packed into his life since Byakuya came to Karakura town on his mission. Ichigo did not have to think of that annoying arrogant noble Shinigami now, he did not have to think of the pocky game or the singing on stage, he did not have to think of Byakuya's condescending attitude or undeniable attractiveness. He did not have to think of how Byakuya pissed him off.

It was just him and the music on that dance floor. He felt ecstatic.

And then, Ichigo _felt _Byakuya's eyes on him before he saw it. Without breaking the pace of his dancing, he glanced in that direction. Sure enough, his eyes met the cold grey of the noble's. For a moment, Ichigo felt his breath hitch at the powerful gaze itself. He realized Byakuya was watching his every move, and a fleeting sense of nervousness seeped into him. He recovered almost immediately, as a realization dawned on him. He was on the dance floor, Byakuya was not. That was not going to change. Kuchiki Byakuya would not be able to come to this side. Ichigo was simply out of reach of the noble now.

The mix of confidence and enjoyment surged through his veins now, making dancing even more blissful. In fact, he shifted his position on the dance floor so that he was facing in Byakuya's direction. If the noble was watching him, he would give him a proper view. There was nothing the high-and-mighty Shinigami could do but watch him now anyway. Rubbing that into Byakuya's face would just make this dance even more fun!

With that feeling, dancing became more liberating than it already was. Ichigo found himself moving with more fervor, and it seemed the world was on his side, for the beat of the music had picked up pace too. He made sure to look at Byakuya from time to time, and he felt a little surprised that he was still watching him. Byakuya's face was expressionless as usual, but there was something different in his eyes. Ichigo was sure it wasn't the colored lights that were playing tricks on him. Even while he focused on dancing, he could not ignore the strange look in the grey depths of Byakuya's eyes. Byakuya was not simply staring at him, he was observing – it almost appeared to be calm calculation. Yet, his gaze was laced by something else. Something that Ichigo felt would draw him in and drown him if he looked at it too long.

Ichigo's partner for the dance, Inoue Orihime finally noticed that his attention to dancing had suddenly become divided with something else. She turned to where Ichigo was looking, and found Kuchiki Byakuya standing in the crowd watching them dance. Inoue said something, but Ichigo signaled that he could not hear her because of the music.

She leaned close to his ear and said louder, "Kurosaki kun, do you think Kuchiki san wants to join us dancing?"

Ichigo could not help but burst out into chuckles and he said to her ear "Inoue, do you really think that ice prince would be shaking his noble booty on this dance floor?"

When he looked in Byakuya's direction again, that previous look in his eyes had been replaced by a murderous glare that chilled him to the core. _What's his problem?_ Thought Ichigo, before letting the music carry him away again.

He was aware of the fact that Byakuya watched him for as long as the song lasted.

When the song was over, there was a shuffle of activity as some people left the dance floor and others from the sidelines joined in. Inoue said she'd be taking a breather, and left the floor. But Ichigo was staying for the next dance. He was in the perfect mood for dancing and would make the most of it. As the new song started, he looked over to Byakuya who still stood watching him. Ichigo flashed him a wild grin and started moving to the music again.

The group of girls who had asked Byakuya to dance (in vain) now stepped on to the dance floor. It seemed Kurosaki senpai was free and willing to dance, not to mention that he was insanely sexy while dancing. The group of girls now gladly surrounded and danced with Ichigo. Under normal circumstances, Ichigo would have blushed and gone nervous, start stuttering nonsense or even run away. But right now he was had a mix of confidence and adrenaline pulsing through his blood. He was the man who owned and ruled that dance floor, his body belonged to the music, the music belonged to him. He wanted the world to watch him dance, he wanted to show the world how to dance.

The fact that the girls wanted to dance around him drove his enthusiasm even higher rather than making him shy. As usual, however, Kurosaki Ichigo had no idea just how attractive he was.

There was one person in the room who had an extremely accurate idea of how attractive Kurosaki Ichigo was. That person was Kuchiki Byakuya.

Byakuya had watched Ichigo through the whole of the last dance, reading his movements and, dare he say, _relishing _them. But he was a man of control. The head of the Kuchiki clan and the captain of the Sixth Squad had centuries of discipline and command over himself. He would not let the orange haired strawberry play games with his senses or push him into spiraling lust.

He was aware that Ichigo knew he was watching him, that he was enjoying showing off to him. The brat kept making eye contact with him, and had even grinned at him as the new song started. The grin reminded Byakuya of Ichigo's hollow, for it carried an untamed arrogance and seemed to sneer him. Or challenge him. Byakuya did not like that.

Byakuya also did not like it when Inoue Orihime had leaned into the boy's ear while dancing. He felt a flame of anger and resentment flicker inside him. _Does she not know when to stop trying?_ _He will never take notice of, let alone return her affections._ Despite his calm facade on the outside, Byakuya was seething with anger when Ichigo spoke into her ear too.

Byakuya was glad that Inoue had left the dance floor as the new song started, but almost immediately a flock of girls went and claimed Ichigo as their companion for the dance. It surprised Byakuya that Ichigo did not turn nervous when that happened. On the contrary, he was happily soaking in their attention. The girls seemed more than pleased.

Byakuya, however, was displeased. He liked what he saw on that dance floor. And those girls were not worthy of setting their eyes, _or hands_, on what he liked. Those girls needed to know their place. And that place was _not around Kurosaki Ichigo._

Kuchiki Byakuya did not like anything coming between him and what he wanted. Especially if that thing was akin to his own shortcoming. If that was the case, the only option was to obliterate his shortcoming. He was, after all, Kuchiki Byakuya.

He had contemplated for long enough, and it was now time to take action.

Ichigo was happily dancing away with the girls who had joined him for the new song, when suddenly something caught his eye. Byakuya was walking towards him! The living ice statue, the image of cold silent inflexible aristocracy, the stiffest being in all the three worlds was walking to the dance floor in the midst of blaring music.

Ichigo froze in shock and confusion. _What does he think he's doing? He has surely never danced before and is not going to now. Why is he coming here? _The girls who were dancing with Ichigo noticed that he had gone still. Following his surprised gaze, they turned to see Kuchiki senpai walking to the dance floor, straight towards them, his face cold and expressionless but his grey eyes set in an intimidating glare.

Ichigo watched as Byakuya walked towards him in his firm serene glide, as though the captain was walking calmly down a street in Seretei, exuding power and class. Byakuya had his condescending dangerous glare on, and as he reached closer, the girls who had been surrounding Ichigo backed away by reflex. Ichigo was now standing alone and still, feeling confused and conscious of the eyes all around watching him. But his eyes were glued on the noble who was now a few steps away from him.

For a moment, his confusion was put on hold as it once again dawned on him how gorgeous Byakuya was. The noble Shinigami's pale skin and flawless features took on a different appearance under the lights of the dance floor. There was no doubt that he was the most stunning person on that floor. There was actually no doubt in Ichigo's mind that Byakuya was the most stunning being in the World of The Living, Soul Society and Hueco Mundo put together. _What am I thinking?_

Ichigo snapped out of his unwelcome admiration of Byakuya's looks as he realized how close the subject of his confused feelings was. In fact, Byakuya had just come to a halt right in front of him.

Ichigo's questioning brown eyes locked into Byakuya's grey gaze. The music was still playing, but the other dancers had slowed down and the onlookers had gone silent. Ichigo and Byakuya stood still, eyes fixed on each other. They stood still. Very still.

_Wait a second, _thought Ichigo, _what are we doing?_ The ridiculousness of the whole thing came to his attention. _Did this noble idiot come on the dance floor to stand frozen like the ice prince he is? How stupid can you get?_ It was so hilarious to think Byakuya was embarrassing himself like this. What was he thinking, walking here in front of everyone and not doing anything but standing there?

Of course, it was obvious to Ichigo that the only way Byakuya could embarrass himself any more than this was if he actually tried to dance. This was all too amusing. He did not know what rare lapse of judgement had made Rukia's brother step into his current predicament, but he felt victorious to be right in the middle of this situation. He could laugh in Byakuya's face for a lifetime.

To rub salt on what he saw as a wound on Byakuya's colossal ego, Ichigo decided to stop standing still like him, and started dancing again. The music was upbeat, just right to his taste, and he moved without any inhibition to make sure he was a stark contrast to the unmoving figure in front of him.

Before he could ride on that wave of victorious glory, however, another lightning of shock hit him.

Byakuya had started dancing too!

Ichigo's eyes went wide, and for a second he froze awkwardly in the middle of his dance move. Kuchiki Byakuya, head of the noble Kuchiki clan, an ice statue carved out of the the coldesttraditions straight out of a frozen page of a history book, a man who was always poised and unruffled in his face and body because he was solidified by his regality – was _dancing_!

If it had been a ballroom dance with Byakuya in an elegant suit (that was quite a mental image, as a voice in Ichigo's head astutely pointed out), the picture could have been believable. But Byakuya was moving and shaking to the latest dance track, like a human teenager. This was beyond unbelievable. _And sexy._

Ichigo forced his mind to stop racing and went back to focusing on dancing. _Dancing with Kuchiki Byakuya._

_Okay there's no way I can stop being shocked about this_, he gave in to his bafflement again.

As the bizarreness of the whole thing sank in, however, a couple of realizations hit Ichigo. Byakuya's dance was almost mirroring his. Of course, the way he moved had a class and suaveness that was purely Byakuya. But it was obvious that the captain had in fact been _observing _when he was watching Ichigo. That was where he picked up how to dance in such circumstances.

In other words, Byakuya had learnt how to dance _right now_. And he was pulling it off with grace and confidence.

It infuriated Ichigo that Byakuya seemed to be able to do anything and everything. The very idea of it was preposterous. Byakuya was what – a few hundred years old? But this was his first time on such a dance floor, without doubt. He was supposed to be faltering and fumbling. But instead, by his keen eyes he picked up what the others around him were doing, and he was replicating it without hesitation! It would have been an unbelievable feat, and Ichigo had a sneaking suspicion that the only person who could pull such a thing off was Byakuya.

_I hate him! I hate that he can do that!_ Ichigo did not know what it was that he was feeling, outrage or pure jealousy. Or simply frustration at the way Byakuya kept shocking him.

But creepily perfect as Byakuya was, this was still his first time and he was still on the learning curve. Ichigo knew he had an advantage here. He knew this entire thing was a challenge for Byakuya. Another grin broke out on Ichigo's face as he decided to make the challenge as difficult as possible.

Byakuya would not call it a gamble, but it had been a precarious decision to bravely join in the dance, considering he had no previous idea on how it was done. He had walked in armed with the confidence that he had thoroughly observed the other dancers, and he could safely imitate their actions. He felt smug at the utter shock it had caused Kurosaki Ichigo. The boy's perplexed expression was confirmation that Byakuya had taken the right decision.

But then, Ichigo was smiling at him deviously. _What is he thinking of doing?_

Ichigo felt a maniacal sense of joy at the idea that had occurred to him. If Byakuya was going to mirror his moves, _let's show him some moves!_

The music happened to be on Ichigo's side, and following the rhythm, he smoothly gyrated his hips in a way that Byakuya would surely not be caught dead doing.

Ichigo's breath hitched as Byakuya's perfectly shaped hips moved the way he had done. He felt like his eyes would pop out of their sockets.

Even in the strange lighting in the room, the slight blush on Ichigo's face did not go unnoticed by Byakuya. Amusement and triumph swelled inside the noble.

Ichigo's attempt to make things harder for Byakuya had been thwarted when his new dance partner actually followed his move. And the very sight of it was so sexy, Ichigo wondered who things were actually getting harder for. _Turn off that thought, turn off that thought!_ Panic started rising inside him.

But on seeing a smugness set into Byakuya's face, Ichigo decided to continue challenging him. He did that by starting to move faster and faster to the music, glad that the beat had picked up too.

To his utter frustration, Byakuya moved along with him. To his utter dismay, it made Byakuya look _even sexier_!

Though he still moved almost instinctively with the music, Ichigo's attention was now focused on taking in the view of his _dance partner. _Byakuya's lithe lean body in motion. He was moving with an air of freedom Ichigo had never seen on him, and the combination of that with the class, power and elegance that was Byakuya was simply breathtaking. Every bit of him was perfection, from his pale neck to his perfect shoulders to his beautifully shaped arms, lean torso and long agile legs. His body was stunning. And as it moved with the music, Ichigo could not think right. He tried to tear his eyes away from his body, moving instead to Byakuya's face. But of course, that view took his breath away too. Byakuya's face was almost expressionless and calm, framed by his silky black hair which bounced with his movement, but Ichigo could see that his perfect features were set in concentration. But there was something more – it seemed to be enjoyment, but of course it was heavily masked.

Though Byakuya did not show it on his face, he was putting in a considerable amount of effort into dancing properly to fit with this unusual environment. It wasn't an easy task, but he was not going to appear inadequate or hesitant. However, he was not going to let that effort interfere with the part he was enjoying the most. Yes, the view of Kurosaki Ichigo had been wonderful when he stood watching from the sides. But nothing compared to the close-up view he had now, as the orange haired temptation danced away _with him._ Byakuya took in every movement of Ichigo's sexy body, and it was both a treat to his senses as well as a dance lesson!

Soon, the focus on challenging and meeting challenges was gone, and Ichigo and Byakuya found themselves absorbed in dancing. Moving in sync, following the music – with each other. Ichigo found this dance more exhilarating than any of his dances so far. _I'm dancing with Kuchiki Byakuya, _it seemed so unreal. But it was really, really happening. And it felt good. As they danced together, their bodies brushed against each other's. Sometimes intentionally, though mostly as a consequence of dancing. The music kept picking up pace and the two of them followed, their close bodies coming even closer as their dance moves became more and more fervent. Byakuya knew he was doing something uncharacteristic and impulsive, and that he was enjoying it a bit too much. But dancing with Kurosaki Ichigo like this was _worth it._

Their pulses raced. They were breathing fast. A light sheen of sweat formed on their skin. They were only aware of the music and the need to bend, swivel, turn, swing, thrust, and sway with the beat. They were immersed in how good the other looked and felt against their body.

Immersed as they were in their dance, the pair did not notice that they were quite the display on the dance floor. Everyone there was watching, even the other dancers had slowed down as they looked on in awe. The girls felt their knees go weak at the sight those two made, both so handsome, with such amazing bodies. It was unbelievable, but they were dancing together! The scene was like a fantasy coming true.

Standing by the side of the dance floor, Ishida, Inoue and Chad were speechless at what they were watching. The noble Kuchiki Byakuya, the serious and reserved captain of the Sixth Squad, the image of the rigid rules of Soul Society, and Kuchiki Rukia's older brother was dancing. With their friend Ichigo! Didn't those two openly resent each other's attitudes? Didn't they have a cold unfriendly relationship? But on that dance floor, things were anything but cold between them. For these three, it would have been more acceptable if Ichigo and Byakuya were at each other's necks with their powerful swords atop Sokyoku Hill again.

And then, the music slowed down.

The sudden change of pace startled Byakuya, who was by now used to dancing to the fast music. What was he supposed to do now? He glanced around. The other dancers were slowing down too. The ones who danced in pairs were dancing closer to each other. And then, he felt warmth brushing against him.

_Kurosaki Ichigo._ Byakuya found Ichigo standing right up against his body now. He felt a strange tingle go down his spine, and took a breath to compose himself. It seemed Ichigo had no hesitation to dance to this part of this song with him. As Byakuya searched those brown eyes deeply, he found an enticing look of determination.

When the music slowed down, for a miniscule moment Ichigo had panicked about what to do. But he had so far been dancing with Byakuya and enjoying it, and he knew he wanted to dance slower with him too. This was not a chance he'd have every day. The courage in his veins now, to attempt something seemingly outrageous, was also fleeting. This was his time to seize the opportunity. And as he moved closer to Byakuya, the noble moved closer to him too.

There was no distance between their bodies now, and they _felt _each of the other's movements against them. The moves being slow, lingered longer.

The dance was slow, but the feeling was like a thousand explosions all over their bodies. Taking full advantage of the unhurried pace of the music, Ichigo let his hands brush up Byakuya's sides, up his thighs and to his waist. He saw Byakuya's eyes widening, and looking into them, Ichigo put on his best smouldering look. Byakuya returned it with a captivating darkening of his grey eyes.

The boy was holding him. Byakuya's composure was at a precarious edge now. The feather light brushing of the hands up his body had been frustrating enough, and now the hands held him firmly at the waist. Ichigo's body twisted slowly, undulating with the music. It felt delicious against Byakuya's body, he barely held back a sigh.

Ichigo's daring actions were surprising, but as Byakuya returned the favour by slipping further into his arms, positioning himself even closer, that confidence faltered. Byakuya felt so warm. A gasp escaped him, Ichigo hoped the music had swallowed it. He tore his eyes away from Byakuya's, the unbelievably sultry gaze there was too much to bear.

But he had to snap back to look at the noble as Byakuya's hands now ran up against his arms, slowly, deliberately, too lightly. The hands finally rested against his shoulders, as the rest of Byakuya's body swayed slowly with the music while still in his arms.

The challenging look had melted off Ichigo's face, replaced by a shy nervousness and pure awe at the gorgeous creature in his arms. That face was a deadly threat to what remained of Byakuya's control. To divert his gaze from that face, Byakuya used his next dance move to lean in against Ichigo now.

Ichigo's heart pounded wildly against his ribcage. Byakuya was leaning against him, the sides of their faces met in a caressing brush. Surely, Byakuya could _feel _the huge blush on Ichigo's face now! The way Ichigo could feel Byakuya's aristocratic cheekbone pressing on him, feel the smoothness of that pale skin as it rested against him. Strands of Byakuya's silken black hair tickled Ichigo's neck. Byakuya's intoxicating fragrance muddled Ichigo's brain with every breath. Ichigo's eyes fluttered shut.

Byakuya was in an exquisite situation where he felt the heat of Ichigo's face brushing against his cheek, and watched Ichigo's ear go an adorable shade of red. Ichigo's short breaths fell in warm puffs against his neck. With each of his own breaths which blew against Ichigo's ears maddeningly, Byakuya inhaled the scent of Ichigo's orange locks. It took an unbelievable amount of control, even for him, to resist burying his nose into that head full of orange hair. And then, Ichigo's head slipped away from him...

And rested on his shoulder! Surprised, Byakuya stilled for a moment. Ichigo was resting his head on his shoulder, the warmth almost burned into his shirt. He moved his hands away from the boy's shoulders in the fear that he would give in to the need to pull him closer, to lock Ichigo in place there for the rest of eternity. But he could not resist dragging his hands across Ichigo's back, rubbing the material of the purple shirt against Ichigo's skin, bringing his hands to meet over Ichigo's spine and then going down at a teasing slow speed that the music allowed. At the same time, Ichigo's hands had started moving up from Byakuya's waist, first brushing lightly again, and then firmly pressing against his front. Byakuya could feel Ichigo's fingers and palms taking in the feel of his toned abs, their exploration slow and determined to make the most of feeling him over his shirt. Byakuya was breathing much faster now, his racing heart would surely be felt by the boy in his quest upwards. Surely enough, the hands were rising slowly over his chest now, lingering and heating him up. Ichigo's hands had now journeyed up Byakuya's perfect torso, discovering that it felt as good as it looked, yearning to feel more and more. At the same time, Byakuya's hands continued down his back leaving a blaze of electric heat along their way.

Reaching the small of Ichigo's back, Byakuya had to warn himself to not venture further, as much as he wanted to and needed to. Instead, he took the tamer option of holding Ichigo by the waist now.

They looked into each other's eyes once again, but it was nothing like looking into each other's eyes ever before. There was unmasked lust and the battle between restraint and daring flaming wildly between them. This one dance had taken down a thousand walls that they had guarded safely, the walls that made them refuse to accept, and hide from one another, the undeniable attraction growing between them. Since that moment Byakuya had stepped out of the Senkaimon, unwelcome to Ichigo. Since he had put on the outrageous outfit picked by Urahara. Since the two had scuffled with Byakuya's tight pants. Since Ichigo had found himself pinned under Byakuya. The lust had been growing since then. Growing more each time Ichigo breathed Byakuya's scent. Each time Byakuya glared at Ichigo, and each time Ichigo scowled at him. Each time Byakuya made astute condescending remarks about Ichigo, and each time Ichigo spoke blatantly disrespectfully to Byakuya. Each time they walked to school and ate lunch together. The attraction had magnified when they got drenched in the rain, and a shirtless Byakuya had pinned a shirtless Ichigo against a closet door. When they had been hiding in the storage closet with no space to move. When they had been battling over Pocky with their mouths. When they watched the same mouths licking ice-cream. When they heard each other's voice singing over the microphone on stage.

This one dance had handed them the chance to put the denial of that attraction on hold, handed them the excuse to be close against the one they desired. Without ever planning to, both of them had given away to the temptation to take up the opportunity and for once let their attraction pull them together.

And how wonderful it felt to be together like this! Ichigo decided to make the most of his bold streak as long as it lasted. He let his nose brush against Byakuya's jaw and up his cheek, letting his breath tickle Byakuya's skin. He pulled back, and his eyes settled on the noble's perfect, beautiful lips, slightly parted as Byakuya breathed in fast. How he longed to touch them, to kiss them with all the passion he was feeling now. Unfortunately, there was no dance move that could serve as a cover for doing that in front of so many people. Perhaps...perhaps if this surge of courage lasted longer, he would do that when they were alone. As unlikely as it seemed even now, Ichigo wished he would be able to.

Byakuya watched as Ichigo stared at his mouth. Did the orange haired embodiment of enticement even know how sexy he was being, looking at him like that. As Ichigo's eyes drank in his lips, Byakuya wished he could devour the strawberry he held in his arms now. Bring those lips that Ichigo was admiring so openly against the boy's own, kiss him to channel every bit of craving Ichigo made him feel. Kiss him, and kiss him some more. But there was no way he could do that here and now on the dance floor, and Byakuya wondered if he'd ever find another situation where he would relinquish his control and his stoic cold image enough to be able to be close enough to claim the berry's lips.

They had to divert themselves from the appeal of each other's lips, and as they kept moving with the music, Byakuya let his hips brush against Ichigo's. It was subtle but impossible to go unnoticed. It was too little, but too much.

Ichigo had to bite his lip to stop himself from moaning in surprise and pleasure. He had no idea how that sight drove Byakuya insane with longing, and composing himself somewhat in his next breath, Ichigo let his hips playfully rub against Byakuya's too. The combination of the two enticing feelings made Byakuya release Ichigo's waist and run his hands down his backside, making it look smooth and tame with his elegance, but making sure the object of his lust felt the warmth of his hands burning into him.

As soon as Byakuya caught a burning flame in Ichigo's brown eyes, wilder than any look he had seen all this time, to which he replied with an equally passionate gaze, the music picked up pace again.

They both knew the song was nearing its end, their time on the dance floor together would soon be over, their reason to be so close was reaching its last moments. They did not want to miss a moment while this magical lucky escape from reality still lasted. They did not want to miss a single move by the other, a single intentionally accidental touch. As the dance track now returned to full swing with its beat and rhythm, Byakuya and Ichigo danced away in synchronization with each other and the music, absorbing each moment while they still could. Dancing faster and faster, they felt the heat radiating off each other, both literally and figuratively. They could be a mingled blur of black and orange hair, purple and black shirts, as they danced away in their own world, aware of nothing else but each other and their movement with the music, driven by passion, freedom, abandon, thrill and delight that only this dance floor could give them room for.

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><p>Abarai Renji had walked into the room to where he had traced his Taichou's and Ichigo's reiatsu, surprised that those two had ended up in the same place despite having walked away from each other. But that surprise was no match for the utter shock that met his eyes when he located the two on the dance floor, dancing together. If he had not seen it with his own eyes, Renji would never have believed Kuchiki Taichou had danced like that to a fast dance track from the human world, on a dance floor full of human teenagers, <em>with Ichigo.<em> But before he could let the shock of that vision sink in, the music slowed down, and Renji wished his eyes never had to see what he did – Kuchiki Taichou and Ichigo slow dancing while provocatively brushing and rubbing against each other without any inhibition. Renji had to thank his own strength for being able to take that shock without passing out. The image those two had created for all to see on that dance floor, however, was now burnt into his memory. He would not be able to forget it even if he tried. _What is wrong with those two? Why are they acting like this? What in the world happened to my Taichou?_

Barely reigning in the astonishment of finding his reserved, stiff and ruthlessly proper Taichou dancing while holding his friend Ichigo, Renji remembered he had walked in here to take his leave from them. He decided against it. There was no way he wanted to face either of them after what he had just witnessed. If they ever found out that he saw them, the two would either poke his eyes out with Senbonzakura and Zangetsu or they would end up in the most awkward conversation ever, which was the worse option.

_I'll just send Taichou a text message saying I left for Soul Society, _Renji decided as he hurried as far away from that dance floor as possible.

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><p>The song ended, and the sudden silence along with the sudden cessation of movement was alarmingly unnerving. With nothing to dance to, Ichigo and Byakuya went still, forgetting to catch their breath as a cold blade of realization sliced between them.<p>

_What are we doing?_

As though hit by an electric shock, they two sprang back from each other, appalled that they had been so close, outraged by what they had been doing with the other. Byakuya's eyes went ice cold again, his cruel glare coming back on without hesitation. Ichigo fought his shock and his blush, and scowled at the noble who had just been his dance partner. Anger surged through both of them at the realization of what they had done, what they had allowed each other to do, and where they had done it.

_What a shameful lapse of judgment. I cannot believe I let this insolent brat lower me to following a childish impulse. _Byakuya was hating this mission of his more than ever now.

This mission which was landing him in ludicrous predicaments!

_What the hell was that? Oh God. I did not just dance like that with this arrogant bastard! What is wrong with me? Have I completely lost it?_ Ichigo cursed and cursed away in his mind, at Kuchiki Byakuya and his frustrating mission which had served to mess up every bit of Ichigo's life.

Indeed, Kuchiki Taichou's mission had seen much bizarreness so far, but had by far peaked in madness on that dance floor.

Looking ready to kill each other, equally frustrated with themselves but angry with the other, Byakuya and Ichigo glowered at each other and then turned on their heels, walking off in opposite directions across the now dead silent dance floor.

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><p><strong>Next Chapter: Missing<strong>

**A/N: **Whewww! Is it just me or is it hot in here? I think I'll go cool off by dancing! Please let me know if you enjoyed this chapter because I'm rather worried that the turn of events in the next one will frustrate you. Leave your appreciation while you still appreciate me!


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: **As much as I wanted to, I could not find the time to update this sooner. I hope you enjoy this chapter. I tried to capture how sometimes, when you get the thing you wish for, you don't know what to do next!

Considering the way I left it, I will definitely start working on the next one immediately.

**Warning: **A frustrated Ichigo equals some language**.**

And please keep in mind that sentences in italic in my story usually mean the character is thinking those lines. It would be scandalous if they said some of those aloud!

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><p><strong>Chapter 15: Missing<strong>

Kuchiki Byakuya and Kurosaki Ichigo had done a superb job of avoiding each other the rest of that day. In fact, they hadn't as much as crossed paths until it was time for dinner, when they sat awkwardly beside each other at the dinner table. Karin and Yuzu noticed the extra coldness between their brother and their guest, and wondered if the two had gotten into another argument. But they thought it would be wiser not to ask. Byakuya sama could be really frightening when he was angry, even if he sat silently and expressionlessly. And, their brother could be extremely noisy when he threw tantrums. So the dinner went by in quiet, edgy awkwardness.

But it was nothing compared to the awkwardness of bedtime. Ichigo had decided to take his sweet time in the shower, trying to delay being alone in the bedroom with Byakuya. When the hot water ran out, Ichigo even contemplated freezing his butt in the cold water – even that was better than being frozen by Byakuya's attitude. Ichigo had to come out, however, when his sisters started getting annoyed that he was hogging the bathroom and Karin even threatened to break the door down if he didn't get out soon. And therefore, Ichigo was left with no choice but to head to his room. Where the formidable Kuchiki Byakuya lay waiting.

_Why am I scared of him now? I've beaten him in battle. Hell, I've beaten Aizen in battle!_ Ichigo braced himself as he stood outside the bedroom door. He took a deep breath, trying to push out images of the dance from earlier that day. He was not sure what he was scared of. Being outright ignored by the noble after everything that happened? Or was he scared that when they were alone, they would finally acknowledge what happened and..._take action?_

With a nervous gulp, Ichigo finally pushed the door open. After all, he could not stand out here all night. There was no point in stalling this further. He would just have to go in and face Byakuya.

Kuchiki Byakuya heard the door to the bedroom being opened as he lay on his futon, staring at the ceiling and trying to reign in his rage. _Kurosaki Ichigo._ The source of his rage had just walked in to the room. Byakuya wished he could be back in his own bedroom in the Kuchiki manor, which he did not have to share with anyone. Byakuya wished to be alone. As far away from this orange haired brat as he could be.

Byakuya continued staring at the ceiling but he was aware of Ichigo taking rushed steps to his bed and huddling under the covers as though they would protect him. _Perhaps I should just slice him, along with those covers, to shreds with Senbonzakura, _pondered Byakuya.

And so, after avoiding it all this time, Byakuya and Ichigo found themselves alone in a room together.

They lay wide awake and so silent that they could hear each other breathing. Unknown to the other, they both recalled the thought that occurred to them while dancing, about what they would do when they were alone together again. _I wanted to kiss him._

Ichigo was glad that the room was dark and that they were looking away from each other, for a full blown blush had spread across his face at that thought. Moments from the dance flashed before his eyes. How Byakuya's hands felt on his body. How Byakuya's body felt under his hands. How close he had been to Byakuya, and how much closer he wanted to be. This was frustrating. He was undeniably attracted to Rukia's brother. _But he pisses me off. I can't stand him. I hate these confusing feelings I'm having because he's so sexy! Screw him...Well, I do want to screw him...Argh, what am I thinking? Stupid Byakuya! Why can't he just go away?_

As his mind strayed to the dance, Byakuya felt infuriated about how the orange-haired Substitute Shinigami kept threatening to break his precious control, over and over again. Byakuya was still angry at himself for giving in to the impulse to dance with Kurosaki Ichigo, and then giving in to the temptation to touch him while he was close. He could not believe he had let his attraction for this human muddle his better judgment. And yet, even now, he could not stop thinking of how much he wanted to kiss him! Touching Kurosaki Ichigo had felt amazing, and all he could think of was the million other ways he wanted to touch him again, with less or none of the restraint that the dance floor demanded. The images in his head made Byakuya heat up. _This room feels even smaller tonight. Why do I have to be crowded in this room with him? I have had enough of this mission. I wish I was home, a dimension away from this annoying brat. That is how things should be._

A battle between lust and annoyance, and something more which neither of them could figure out, continued in their minds as Byakuya and Ichigo lay awake as the rest of Karakura town slept soundly. As the night went by however, the physical and mental exhaustion of the extremely strange day caught up with them, and unknown to themselves and the other, they both fell asleep.

"Onii-chan, wake up! Or you'll be late for school." Yuzu's voice called out from outside the bedroom door. Ichigo groaned and pulled the covers over his head to block out the sunlight flooding in through the window. It seemed like he had just fallen asleep, and it was morning already! _Stupid pretty noble, it's his fault I couldn't get enough sleep. _Deciding to ignore Yuzu, Ichigo tried to get a little more sleep._ Five more minutes can't hurt!_ But his long standing enemy, the alarm clock, started blaring right on cue. With another sleepy groan, Ichigo finally came out from under the covers to turn the alarm clock off.

His eyes fell on the floor, where there was no sign of Byakuya's futon. Confused, Ichigo looked around. There was no trace of Byakuya in the bedroom. Well, the noble was an early riser, and possibly did not spend the night as sleepless as Ichigo. He was probably already up and dressed for school. Reluctantly, Ichigo left his bed to prepare for school himself, or he would really be late. Trudging sleepily to the closet, he opened it to take out his school uniform.

Sure enough, Byakuya's futon along with his pillows and covers had been tidily kept away in the closet. _But wait, _Ichigo froze, analyzing the contents of his closet, which seemed strangely emptier than usual. _Where's Byakuya's stuff?_ None of the clothes and other belongings that Byakuya kept in Ichigo's closet seemed to be there. Ichigo turned to the corner of the room where Byakuya's suitcase was supposed to be. It wasn't there. _What's going on? Where'd all his stuff go?_

"Hey, Byakuya! Where did you move all your things to?" Ichigo called out, stepping out of the bedroom. There was no answer. Ichigo went to check if Byakuya was in the bathroom, but he wasn't.

In fact there was no trace of the noble Shinigami, not even his characteristic scent, as Ichigo went downstairs looking for him. "Karin, Yuzu! Have you guys seen Byakuya?" He asked his sisters who were at the breakfast table.

They looked up at him, confused. "Isn't he in your room? We haven't seen him this morning." Asked Yuzu.

"What!? Where the hell is he then?" Ichigo exclaimed, and did another search of the entire house. He even checked outside and the roof. "He's not here. All his stuff is gone too..." He explained the findings of his search to his sisters.

"Ichi-nii! What did you do? Surely you pissed him off really bad or something! Why would he leave without telling anyone?" Karin scolded her brother.

"You must have been very rude to him. Byakuya sama is a well mannered man. He would not leave like this unless you made him!" Yuzu voiced her accusations as well.

"What is wrong with you two?" Ichigo asked, infuriated. "I didn't do anything!" _Unless dancing with him counts._

"When was the last time anyone saw him?" Karin asked.

"That would be when he was in bed last night," replied Ichigo. "But when I woke up, he was gone!"

The twins glared at Ichigo again, still accusing him of being rude to Byakuya.

"Will you two stop it? I didn't do anything to piss him off, at least nothing that I know of. So obviously, your idea that Byakuya is too courteous to leave without telling you is wrong!"

Karin and Yuzu looked disappointed. After a few moments of silence, Yuzu asked, "Do you think he'll be back?"

"I don't know," answered Ichigo.

"Well, he's going to show up at school right? You can ask him what happened then," suggested Karin. "And if he seems angry at you, apologize. Your manners are pitiful!"

"Geez, you guys even sound like him now!" Ichigo snapped.

"Well, he's a far better influence than you are, Onii-chan!" Yuzu snapped back.

Frustrated, Ichigo went off to prepare for school. He was already running late. If he met Byakuya at school, he'd give the arrogant bastard a piece of his mind. There was a nagging feeling in his head though, that Byakuya wouldn't be there either.

The walk to school seemed much longer than usual, for some strange reason. Ichigo felt something weighing on him. Also, it surprised him that he had grown so accustomed to walking to school with Byakuya by his side. They didn't talk much, _well Byakuya hardly talks, _and when they did it was usually a condescending remark from the noble or an intentionally rude retort from Ichigo. Most of the walk would be quiet, the air between them buzzing with tension that there always was between them, which kept growing as the mission progressed. Out of the corner of his eye, Ichigo would watch Byakuya from time to time. Even in the simplest of actions, the noble was a treat to the eyes. When he walked, his steps were unhurried and firm, yet the entire action was so smooth he seemed to be gliding. Ichigo would also notice how is pale skin looked in the morning sunlight, how the expression on his face was held more serenity than the peacefulness of the early morning. The distance between them as they walked side by side, had grown smaller since the wary distance they kept at the beginning of Byakuya's mission. And each time Ichigo inhaled the morning breeze, he'd be delighted to take in a sniff of Byakuya's subtle, beautiful fragrance. Ichigo did not want to say he _enjoyed _walking to school with Byakuya, but he could say it was a _pleasant experience._

Today however, he walked alone. Well, it was what he wanted ever since the day Byakuya had been assigned to Karakura Town. In fact, he wanted to be alone, away from Byakuya, even last night. But Ichigo found that he was not happy, as he had expected to be, to finally have the arrogant noble out of his hair. _Why am I not happy?_

Was it because he did not quite know yet if Byakuya was gone for good? But that thought did not quite cheer him up either. Was it because he didn't know where Byakuya was? _I mean, I wanted to be away from him. But he just disappeared. I hope he's not in any trouble. _But Ichigo knew very well that worrying about Byakuya was pointless. No matter where he was – the World of the Living, Soul Society, or Hueco Mundo, Kuchiki Byakuya was more than capable of taking care of himself.

Byakuya was not someone who needed to be protected by Ichigo. That thought somehow made Ichigo feel a little disappointed.

Ichigo had reached the school gate. With a sigh, he entered. Perhaps Byakuya had moved to a different living quarters, and would indeed show up at school like his sisters said he might?

The biggest reason Ichigo was worried was that he had done something which made the noble leave. _I say a lot of things that offend him, and get a kick out of it. But yesterday we didn't talk at all after the music competition. _The question that had been plaguing Ichigo all morning came back again.

_Did he leave because of the dance?_

Ichigo wondered if he had overstepped some boundary and outraged Byakuya. But as far as he could remember, Byakuya had been a more than willing participant in what they were doing on that dance floor. If any boundaries had been crossed, they had crossed them together. _Or maybe he isn't comfortable being around me after that?_ The previous evening had indeed been laced by discomfort on both their parts. Ichigo felt a surge of disappointment and indignation welling up inside him as he thought, _maybe he regrets doing what he did. He must hate me for it. That's why he left..._

As he headed to his classroom, Ichigo tried to calm himself down. _Would Kuchiki Byakuya cut his mission short over something like that?_

"Ichigo!" Keigo screamed as he greeted his orange haired friend excitedly. "Why the long face?"

Ichigo ignored him completely, and sat down at his seat, noting that the one in front of him was empty.

Ichigo's classmates warily took notice of the fact that he was in a terrible mood. Tatsuki and Inoue exchanged glances, wondering whether to approach him. Sado looked on worriedly. Ishida shook his head and went back to reading his book.

Still vying for attention, Keigo spoke up again. "Hey Ichigo, where's Kuchiki san?"

Ichigo visibly stiffened, and silently looked away and out the window, avoiding any eye contact.

"Good morning class!" The teacher had walked in.

"Good morning sensei!" The class greeted her in chorus.

The teacher proceeded to take the attendance, calling out the students' names in alphabetical order and noting down the responses. The attendance went smoothly until she called "Kuchiki!"

There was no response.

The teacher's brows furrowed. She looked in the direction of the picture-perfect transfer student's seat. It really was empty! A low buzz filled the classroom as the students noted their classmate's absence. It struck the teacher as strange that Kuchiki would be absent from school, but she continued taking attendance. She called the next name, "Kurosaki!"

There was no response.

This time she said it slowly and threateningly "Kurosaki."

There was still no response.

Ochi sensei was fast going from annoyed to infuriated. She had noticed Kurosaki's unique orange hair while scanning Kuchiki's empty seat right in front of the boy. But the teenager was glaring out the window oblivious to what was going on around him. Some of the students seated around him were trying to alert him of his imminent danger. He kept glaring out the window without taking notice.

"KUROSAKI!" Ochi sensei yelled angrily.

She felt satisfaction as her orange haired student jumped from his seat, eyes going wide with realization and fear, and stammered his attendance.

The teacher glared at Ichigo for a while. "Why were you not paying attention, Kurosaki? This is unacceptable behaviour."

The student lowered his wide brown eyes, looking genuinely repentant, and said "I'm sorry Ochi sensei."

"This should never happen again, am I clear?" The teacher said in a quiet chilling voice.

"Yes, sensei."

"One more thing, Kurosaki. Where's Kuchiki? Why is he absent?"

Kurosaki's repentant expression turned into a scowl. "I don't know why he's not here."

The buzzing in the classroom increased.

"But doesn't he stay with you at your home?" Asked the teacher.

Silence followed, as Ichigo tried to keep himself from getting angry, and the class eagerly awaited his response. "No, sensei. He doesn't stay with me anymore."

Ochi sensei wondered why such a simple conversation was bringing a multitude of emotions on her student's face, but it was time to move on from the topic. "Well I hope he's alright," she said, and then continued taking the attendance.

For the rest of the class however, she could not help but notice that Kurosaki's mind was far away from the day's lesson. He alternately appeared dejected, angry and distracted. The teacher wondered if this had anything to do with Kuchiki's absence. She didn't quite understand the mechanics of Kuchiki and Kurosaki's relationship. Kuchiki was cold by nature, and all the other students were afraid to approach him. Kurosaki was the only one who talked to him, and even between classes and at lunch time, those two would stick around each other despite appearing to be annoyed by the other. Kuchiki's attitude towards Kurosaki was condescending, and Kurosaki seemed to resent the transfer student's haughty behaviour. Ochi sensei still remembered the first day Kuchiki had transferred to Karakura High School, how he said icily "Kurosaki Ichigo is not my friend". Yet, for the duration of his stay at Karakura town, Kuchiki stayed in the company of Kurosaki, even living in the Kurosaki family's house. This morning, the unnervingly handsome, talented, sophisticated, mysterious transfer student was absent from school. And Kurosaki was displaying behaviour that baffled Ochi sensei despite her experience of teaching teenagers. _Maybe the boys fell out? _She wondered. _I did not receive any notification that Kuchiki's transfer period was over, as I did for Abarai's. I would actually like it if Kuchiki stayed longer. He was the best student in my class, in terms of performance and manners. And he seemed so much more mature than any student I've taught. _In fact, Kuchiki's eyes appeared to hold wisdom of a few centuries. Of course, Ochi sensei knew that wasn't possible, Kuchiki was a teenager after all (even though he did appear a little older than that, which the sensei assumed was the visual effect of his serious and calm personality, for his facial features held timeless youth). Teenagers do not hold wisdom of a few centuries, not even the most impressive ones. It was as simple as that.

Although Kuchiki was a rare calm and collected teenager, Kurosaki on the other hand was a far more typical, tempestuous one. He seemed to be having some sort of teenage meltdown right now, live in her class. Considering that Kurosaki was usually attentive and had a good performance in class, and also considering the futility of attempting to control teenage emotions, Ochi sensei decided to let him be. Hopefully he would swing back to normal tomorrow.

Ichigo was not aware of the analyzing glances his teacher was sending his way. He gave up on trying to concentrate on the lesson, his mind keep straying elsewhere. When he looked ahead to read the blackboard, his eyes fell instead on the empty seat in front of his. If he had to be completely honest with himself, Ichigo had to admit his concentration levels had been less than ideal since Byakuya had started attending school with him. _It's all that arrogant bastard's fault. Why does he have to be so...pretty? _Byakuya looked ridiculously good, even when he was simply sitting there like a statue. _A statue of perfection. Well, more like an ice sculpture._ Ichigo would watch Byakuya's straight back in front of him, and he was sure no one else could sit through the whole duration of the school hours with such flawless poise. Ichigo would never have thought it was possible for him to spend so much of his time at school staring at someone's back! Byakuya's school uniform fit its owner perfectly, framing and flattering his flawless figure, which did not go unnoticed by Ichigo as he watched the noble's back and shapely broad shoulders. Sitting behind Byakuya, Ichigo also had a spectacular view of the Shinigami's shiny black silken hair, which seemed to be perfectly styled all the time, without a strand out place. Ichigo's eyes would sometimes stray to the movement of Byakuya's hands as he wrote, marveling at how graceful and suave all his actions were. And the times when Byakuya spoke up in class, his deep rich voice filled the classroom as every other noise went silent at his powerful presence, each word flowing out in smooth sophistication, making Ichigo's breath hitch at how the voice felt like silky dark chocolate. _What the hell is wrong with me? Why am I comparing a voice to chocolate?!_

Ichigo glared at the now empty seat in front of him, the same way he would direct resentful glares to Byakuya's back when the snob was getting on his nerves. _Why am I thinking of Byakuya when he's not even here!_

Byakuya's mission in Karakura town had definitely messed things up for Ichigo, at home and at school, but most of all, in his head. _And the rest of my body too..._ Since the beginning of the Sixth Squad Captain's mission, Ichigo had been wishing for him to go away. Everything would surely go back to normal, well at least as normal as life could get for Ichigo, if Byakuya left. But now that the noble Shinigami was gone as Ichigo had wished, things were anything but the same as they used to be!

Frustrated, Ichigo let out a sigh and looked away from the empty seat and out the window. Ichigo still had his powers, and its levels had been stable lately. Byakuya's mission had been to observe him till he lost his powers. And the Captain of the Sixth Squad was too bound to honour and duty to simply leave in the middle of his incomplete mission. _But Byakuya isn't here. Where is he? _Ichigo pictured the possibilities. Was there trouble in Soul Society? Had the Captain Commander summoned Byakuya to the Seretei because of that? Or maybe the mission had been called off because Ichigo's powers weren't changing for a while now, and Kuchiki Byakuya was sitting pretty in the Kuchiki manor, surrounded by the luxuries he had missed while he lowered himself to a plebian human life in Karakura town, taking classy sips of his tea and gazing out over one of his seven gardens as he waited for the servants to prepare a gourmet meal. Maybe he was having a conversation with Rukia, listening quietly as she asked her brother how his mission had gone or told him how happy she was that he was back home. Or maybe he was back in his office, satisfying his workaholic nature by catching up on paperwork and criticizing Renji for his inadequacy in cold words that inflicted as much injury as Senbonzakura?

Or was Byakuya still in the World of The Living, fighting off hollows somewhere or fixing rifts among the dimensions? No, Ichigo could not sense his reiatsu. But he knew Byakuya could conceal his reiatsu very well if he wanted to. Had he distanced himself from Ichigo because he didn't want to see him?

"Ichigo! Why are you just sitting here sulking? It's lunch time!" Tatsuki admonished Ichigo.

"Huh? Really?" Asked Ichigo, dazed.

Tatsuki only rolled her eyes at this. Keigo walked up to Ichigo now and asked, "Ichigo, what the hell is up with you today?"

"Nothing. Go away."

"Does it have something to do with Kuchiki san?"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Snarled Ichigo, finally looking at Keigo.

Keigo was a little unnerved at having a hot-headed Ichigo in his hands now. "Well, you know...he didn't show up today, and you said he's not living with you anymore."

"So?" Ichigo asked in a defiant threatening voice.

"You guys seemed pretty close yesterday, at the dance." Stated Keigo. A hushed silence came upon everyone else around them.

Ichigo had a death glare on Keigo now. His next words were hissed out dangerously and slowly, "We. Were. Not. Pretty close."

Keigo tried a nervous chuckle, but failed. "Well, whatever you say, Ichigo."

Ichigo could hear the others whispering among themselves. He exploded now. "My mood has nothing to do with Byakuya okay? I don't give a fuck about where he is and why he's not here. Is that clear? Now get out of my face you idiot!"

Ichigo's friends knew better than to mess with him when he was having such an outburst, so they retreated. Well, Keigo never knew when to stop, but he was now being dragged away by the others to his safety.

Once they left him alone, Ichigo let out an angry huff. It was bad enough having the strangest feelings over Kuchiki Byakuya that he could not explain himself, but it was worse if his friends were taking notice. _Of course they noticed, after the display we put up on the dance floor yesterday!_ Ichigo felt his face growing red again.

_I'm glad Byakuya is gone! He doesn't belong here! He doesn't have any right to be messing up my life. I hope he never comes back. _With that thought, Ichigo felt his anger dying out under a sudden chill of gloom.

* * *

><p>Back at home after school, Ichigo remembered that Karin and Yuzu had soccer and cooking club activities today, and would not be back until later. So, he found himself alone at home. He told himself he could enjoy some alone time – something he rarely had when Byakuya was still here. But soon, he found himself pacing the room wondering where the noble had taken off to and why, cursing away at himself and at Byakuya. <em>Why do I care? I doubt he'd even raise his lovely eyebrow if I went missing one morning! He'd write a report on it for Soul Society and have a cup of tea!<em>

Ichigo was not sure what was bothering him the most. The mysteriously silent disappearance of the Shinigami overnight? Or the timing which closely followed the dance, where they had both dropped so much of their inhibitions and acknowledged their attraction for each other through their actions? Or was it how his life seemed to be weirdly disrupted by Byakuya's absence, when it was the noble's _presence _which should be disrupting his life?

The house seemed quieter without Byakuya's haughty silence.

Frustrated, Ichigo decided to take a walk to clear his head. But he found his mind looping on the same track even while he was taking his walk. _I need to get a life._ _One that does not involve sexy noble Shinigamis._

Suddenly, it occurred to Ichigo that maybe Urahara knew where Byakuya was. Hoping the crafty businessman would not make him pay a price to acquire that information, Ichigo decided to try his luck at the Urahara Shop.

"Hey, Mr. Hat and Clogs, you here?" Said Ichigo, entering the shop.

"Ah, Kurosaki san, what a surprise." Urahara walked out to greet him, clogs and walking cane clicking on the floor. He flapped his fan in front of his face to hide his devious smile. "You've hardly remembered to visit me since that dashing handsome young noble started taking up your time."

"Dashing? He has a stick up his ass! Young? Isn't that guy a few centuries old?" Retorted Ichigo.

"You don't have an objection to 'handsome', I see." Urahara smirked.

Ichigo only scowled at the shady shop owner.

"Well, is this a friendly visit, or did you have some business in mind? Would you like to buy some candy?" Urahara pointed to the candy in the store.

"No, I'm not here for _candy. _I don't feel like poisoning myself with your candy."

"So it is a friendly visit? How nice! Come, let's have some tea."

"Err...actually, I came to ask you something."

"Oh." Urahara smiled almost knowingly. "What is it?"

Ichigo narrowed his eyes, and in one breath finished his question. "Do you know where Byakuya is?"

The shopkeeper only flapped his fan in a leisurely fashion.

Ichigo started feeling annoyed. Urahara was playing with him. "Well, I asked you a question, Urahara."

"Kuchiki Taichou? Isn't he with you? I thought his mission involved monitoring you _closely?_"

"If he was with me, why would I be asking you where he is? He's not here. He took off somewhere last night, while I was sleeping. All his belongings are gone too."

"I see."

"He bought a gigai from you, so I'm assuming he'd leave it here if he went somewhere. Did you meet him last night?"

"No, I was sleeping peacefully last night. No visits from scary nobles. He must've taken his gigai with him."

"So you don't know where he went?"

"No."

"Do you think he went back to Soul Society?"

"What does it matter?"

"Huh?" Asked Ichigo, confused.

Urahara smiled unpleasantly. "Why do you want to know where he is? You can't stand his attitude right? Well he does have the most frosty personality, and he's always looking down upon everyone. Didn't you want him to leave the moment he stepped into this town on his mission?"

Urahara watched the orange haired teen going a strange shade of red.

"Oh my, are you blushing? Is there something that happened during Kuchiki Taichou's mission that I should know of?" Asked Urahara gleefully.

"Cut the crap, Urahara!" Ichigo burst out. "Of course I wanted him to go away. I just wanted to know why he left so suddenly and where he went. Or if there's trouble at Soul Society. But it seems you don't know anything, and I don't need to hear your bullshit."

"Why are you getting so angry? Are you upset about something?"

"I'm leaving."

"Are you sure you don't want to buy any candy for your delightful little sisters?"

"I don't want to poison my sisters, Urahara." Ichigo was already at the door. He stopped, his back still to Urahara. He seemed to be pondering whether to say his next words or not. In a much quieter voice than he had used this whole time, he finally said. "If you find out anything about Byakuya, let me know."

"Certainly, Kurosaki san. Try not to miss him too much!"

"I don't fucking miss him, Urahara!" With that and a slam of the door, the hot headed teenager was gone, and Urahara was left chuckling to himself.

When Ichigo was home again, his sisters were there too. But he kept to himself in his room, trying to ignore his own worrying and sulking. Trying _not to give a shit about Byakuya. Stupid, stupid Byakuya._ He tried to get his homework done without thinking of the noble. Without thinking of what happened at the dance.

_If I knew he was leaving, would I have kissed him last night?_

Stunned at his own thought, Ichigo sat silently for a while, blushing furiously.

As if on cue, a Senkaimon started opening not too far away. Ichigo came out of his human body into his Shinigami form and flash-stepped to where he sensed the Senkaimon in record time. _I'm going to give that arrogant bastard a piece of my mind. I'll kick his ass so bad! _He kept thinking on his way.

Ichigo arrived just in time as the Senkaimon opened. And out stepped...Rukia?

_Wrong Kuchiki!_

Ichigo's eyes went wide. _Wait, since when is Rukia the wrong Kuchiki?!_

Kuchiki Rukia found her friend Ichigo standing wearing one of his stupidest expressions of shock, right in front of where her Senkaimon opened. "Hey, Ichigo! What's up with that face?" Greeted Rukia. She was happy to see him again, but of course she wouldn't say that.

"Rukia, what the hell are you doing here?" Asked Ichigo. A twisting feeling in the pit of his stomach told him that maybe the mission did not demand someone of captain level anymore. Maybe Rukia had been assigned here. _Shouldn't that be something to be happy about?_

"What kind of a greeting is that?" Yelled Rukia, adding violent punches and kicks to punctuate her point. "Aren't you happy to see me here?"

_No I thought it was your brother and I wanted to kiss him, _thought Ichigo as his pesky midget of a friend kept hitting him.

"Ow!" He exclaimed. "Why are you hitting me?" _Byakuya doesn't hit me. Ah never mind, the fact that he exists is bad enough!_

"Because you have no manners!" Rukia added a few more kicks. "Is this how you greet your friend? You uncouth brat!"

"Did you pick that one up from your brother?" Snapped Ichigo under the rain of kicks.

"Yes, my brother is always right."

"Speaking of your brother...ow...where the hell is he?"

Rukia stopped hitting him now, and caught her breath.

_Please don't tell me she doesn't know either._

"That's right, I didn't tell you why I'm here." Said Rukia in a sing-song voice.

"That's because you were beating me up for asking why you're here." Ichigo straightened up and braced himself for another outburst of violence from the sister of the calmest person he knew.

"Shut up and let me finish!"

Ichigo rolled his eyes. He somehow wasn't so sure now that he wanted to know what this was about. Perhaps this would be a confirmation that Byakuya was indeed not coming back to Karakura town. That life would settle into the comfortable disharmony it was with his friend Rukia, rather than the tension filled placidity it was with Byakuya.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, I am here on behalf of the head of the Kuchiki clan, to bring you his invitation to stay as a guest at the Kuchiki manor." Rukia stated in a serious formal voice.

"Huh?" Was the only reply Ichigo could manage.

* * *

><p><strong>Next Chapter: The Guest<strong>

**A/N: **What a strange turn of events right?

Let me know what you think. As always, a huge "Thank You!" to all my reviewers.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16: The Guest**

"What _part _of that did you not get?" Rukia rolled her eyes at the confused look Ichigo was giving her. "Did I hit your head too hard?"

"Byakuya invited me to stay as a guest at his manor?" Ichigo asked, for he was not quite sure that he heard Rukia right.

"Yes, dumbass," replied an exasperated Rukia

"Why?" Ichigo asked.

"Ask your host himself when you get there. I'm only following his orders to bring you his invitation," answered Rukia.

"And what makes your idiot of a brother think I'll go visit him in his prissy home?" Challenged Ichigo.

But that was a wrong move. Rukia now gave him another thorough beating, while saying, "How _dare _you speak so disrespectfully of my brother?"

"Stop it you crazy midget! I can speak of him any way I want!" Ichigo mustered a reply between the violent kicks and punches and blows raining on him. He crawled away to what he thought was a safe distance and dared to go on. "What is that spoilt brat doing back in his _palace_ when he's in the middle of a mission? That jackass didn't even tell me he was leaving! He just disappeared overnight."

Rukia served Ichigo his deserved punishment for speaking so impudently of her honorable brother, before replying, "I don't really know why he's back in Soul Society. I don't think he'd go back there if he wasn't ordered to. All I know is when I came home from work today, Nii-sama was there and he sent me here to invite you."

"And you didn't ask him what was going on, before following his orders?" Asked Ichigo incredulously.

"Of course not. It's Nii-sama." Rukia said in an annoyed voice. _Why should anyone have to think twice before obeying Byakuya Nii-sama's orders?_

"_It's Nii-sama._" Ichigo mocked her voice, "Let's go to the Kuchiki manor now and worship Byakuya _Nii-sama, _for he is so superior it makes him divine!" He added, dripping sarcasm.

"Shut up Ichigo!" Rukia fumed. "My brother _is _worthy of worship. I'm glad you agree. Now let's get going."

"When did I say I'm accepting the invite the arrogant rude jackass sent me? I don't see why I should." Ichigo said, folding his arms in front of himself.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Being invited as a guest of the Kuchiki clan leader is a matter of great honor!"

"Great honor, my ass!"

"What's your problem Ichigo?" Rukia yelled. "So you're not coming? How disrespectful to Nii- ..." She was interrupted as Ichigo spoke up.

"When did I say I'm not coming?"

"Huh?" It was now Rukia's turn to be confused.

Ichigo rolled his eyes, and did his best to appear nonchalant as he said, "I'm going to the Kuchiki manor."

"Well then, what were you throwing that fit for?" Rukia asked, eyebrows raised questioningly. "You are such a hormonal teenager, Ichigo!"

_Oh, you have no idea what your brother has done to my hormones.._. "Well, when does Byakuya want me there?" Asked Ichigo.

"I'm supposed to take you back with me, in this Senkaimon."

"Okay, give me a few minutes, I'll go explain to Kon that he needs to keep things in order here and not ruin my reputation while I'm in Soul Society." With that, Ichigo flash-stepped back to his home to explain things to Kon, who was in his body.

When he was back, Rukia opened the Senkaimon and two Hell Butterflies flew out to usher them inside.

"It's nice not having to break in to Soul Society through Urahara's dodgy Senkaimon, for a change," said Ichigo, stepping inside the gate.

"Well, you are now considered the saviour of Soul Society. You don't have to break in anymore like when you were a 'ryoka'. You're always welcome there now," replied Rukia with a smile. "Besides, as Byakuya Nii-sama's guest, you're using the Kuchiki family's Senkaimon. It's a matter of great honor."

"Will you stop it with the '_great honor_'?" Snapped Ichigo. "I'm only going with you so that I can confront Byakuya about why he left the way he did, and kick his ass if I have to."

Rukia's reply came in a cold murderous voice that Ichigo suspected she had refined using her brother as an example. "Say one more disrespectful word against Nii-sama, and I will bind you with Kido and leave you here for the Cleaner to eat you."

Ichigo would not put it past Rukia, and he did not fancy being eaten by the Cleaner when he could be meeting Byakuya instead. So he put on his best behaviour as they walked down the path to Soul Society, even though in his mind he kept grumbling about the cruel coldness of the Kuchiki siblings, and Rukia's excessive devotion to her snob of a brother.

* * *

><p>Just as the walk was starting to get tiring, they reached the end of the path, and the gate opened before them. Stepping out, Ichigo found himself standing on the beautiful, elaborate, sprawling grounds of what could only be the Kuchiki manor. The grass was greener than any grass Ichigo had ever seen, and had obviously been tediously cropped to perfection. Ahead of him, there was a large lake glittering in the light of the sun which was low in the clear sky.<p>

As Ichigo was taking in his surroundings with awe, a servant appeared and greeted them. "Welcome back, Rukia sama. Welcome to the Kuchiki manor, Kurosaki Ichigo sama." The servant was bowing so low, Ichigo wondered if he would ever be able to straighten his back again. "I was ordered to show our esteemed guest to his quarters."

"Ichigo, I'll be taking off for the Thirteenth Squad office now. Make yourself comfortable here," said Rukia, starting on her way and waving goodbye to him. "Oh, and try not to get lost. That happens when you're new here. Bye!"

"See you later," Ichigo waved back. _Wait, people get lost in the manor?_ Suddenly, with Rukia no longer by his side, Ichigo felt small and alone as he stood in the enormous grounds of the Kuchiki estate, in the midst of serene silence laced by the melodious rustling of leaves in the breeze, and the gentle sounds from fountains in the gardens. Ichigo felt like he did not belong here, that his presence alone disrupted the peacefulness of this noble manor straight out of the pages of a history book.

Ichigo noticed that the servant was standing watching him gaping at his surroundings, and felt a little embarrassed. The servant, however, was unfazed, and politely said "Shall we go inside, Kurosaki Ichigo sama?"

"Uh...yeah, sure. And you can just call me Ichigo," replied the guest, as the servant showed him the way. Ichigo was a little uncomfortable at the way he was being addressed, it was not something he was accustomed to.

"I would not utter such disrespect towards the man who saved Soul Society from Aizen, and the honored guest of the Kuchiki clan," the servant answered with reverence that made Ichigo feel nervous and humble .

_I almost forgot this was Byakuya's house, _Ichigo thought to himself, _it's like a temple of etiquette or something!_ And as he walked down the path in the grounds leading to the manor building, a considerable distance, he realized that the beauty and serenity of the Kuchiki residence resembled the clan leader himself. Ichigo felt like a loud brash orange-haired teenager was as out of place here as a pimple would be on Byakuya's perfect face, and he stifled a chuckle at his own mental image.

_Byakuya._ Remembering the objective of his visit, Ichigo's nervousness about being in a new and unfamiliar place calmed down somewhat. As they approached the house, _if you can call something so freaking huge a house,_ Ichigo took in a deep breath to calm his nerves which were acting strange, and tried to focus on sensing Byakuya's reiatsu. Sure enough, he could sense the powerful presence from somewhere within the manor. Though he didn't want it, Byakuya had been on his mind all day, and soon he could settle the questions regarding the noble's sudden disappearance from Karakura town.

They reached the house, and Ichigo realized it was even bigger than it looked from a distance, and he could understand Rukia's concern that he would get lost inside. As he was led inside, through a maze of corridors and doors among which he would surely lose his way on his own, he could see that the building was made of the finest wood and paper walls. The house was stately and refined, the wealth and tradition of the clan showing through subtly rather than ostentatiously. After a rather long walk, with Ichigo sure he could never find his way back outside, they reached his designated quarters, which the accompanying servant announced.

"Kurosaki Ichigo sama, these will be the quarters you live in during your stay here. Please make yourself comfortable, and let us know if there is anything you need." The servant had led Ichigo to a very spacious set of rooms. There was a living room and an adjacent bedroom, which had a spectacular view of one of the gardens. Both rooms were extremely large, bigger than a small house in the World of the Living. The bedroom was connected to a dressing room, which also led to a bathroom. The ceilings were high, and the paper walls had beautiful paintings of landscapes and flowers. On the wall of the living room hung an extremely beautiful piece of calligraphy of the word "Bond".

Ichigo stood awkwardly in what seemed too much space for one person to live in.

"I was ordered to bring you here so that you could keep your belongings and freshen up if necessary, and then to take you to Byakuya sama." The servant said, before discovering with surprise that the guest did not bring any belongings with him.

"Oh...err. Well, I did need a place to keep my...sword." Ichigo replied nervously, finding solace in Zangetsu on his back. He unstrapped the sword from himself and put it down. And thus, he was done keeping his belongings in his quarters. "I think I'd like to go meet him now."

"Of course, please come with me." The servant was beginning to find the saviour of Soul Society to be a rather strange character, but he went on carrying the orders dutifully.

After another long winding walk through more confusing doors and corridors, Ichigo was led to a porch beyond which was another extremely beautiful garden. But what was in the garden was far more beautiful! Kuchiki Byakuya was sitting in the garden awaiting his guest, but gazing serenely over a pond and the distant trees rather than looking towards the porch, his face impassive as usual, a picture of complete peacefulness.

On seeing Byakuya, a smile broke out Ichigo's face.

"Hey, Byakuya! Missed me?" Ichigo greeted loudly from the porch, making sure he was cheeky enough to annoy the noble.

The servant cringed at the blatant disrespect with which the guest had addressed the master of the house. Ichigo almost felt sorry at the horror he had caused him.

"You are dismissed." Byakuya's deep placid voice spoke up from the garden. He was still looking into the distance, completely ignoring Ichigo or his inappropriate greeting.

Ichigo was confused for a moment at what Byakuya said, but the servant dutifully bowed and left. Ichigo still stood on the porch, and Byakuya gazed at the gardens.

Unsure of what he was supposed to do, Ichigo stood in the calm silence and looked at Byakuya. Even though he was simply sitting in his garden, Byakuya was stunning and impeccable. He was in his uniform, with the scarf and kenseikan that made him look regal, and he sat with his immaculate straight posture. Ichigo had always felt that Byakuya looked older in his Shinigami appearance than he did in his gigai in Karakura town. Both looks were equally breathtaking on this gorgeous man, however, and Ichigo watched as Byakuya's strands of silky black hair gently swayed in front of his face in the breeze. The ends of his silk scarf were swaying too. Other than that and the blinking of his eyes, he could have been a statue in the garden, with his still poise and expressionless face.

Ichigo felt indignant at being ignored this way, but he was not going to wait for Byakuya to ask him to join him. The guest marched determinedly into the garden and sat down opposite Byakuya, interrupting the noble's gaze ahead.

"So, did you invite me all the way here so that you can ignore me and stare at your own garden?" Ichigo huffed.

Kuchiki Byakuya's eyes fell on him now. Beautiful, grey and _cold. _Even though Ichigo looked at him defiantly, the coldness in those eyes chilled him to the core.

After spending a day away from him, Ichigo was finally with Kuchiki Byakuya, sitting right in front of him in his home. Yet, Ichigo felt a huge and intimidating distance between them.

Here in one of the Four Great Noble Houses of Soul Society, he was sitting with the head of the Kuchiki clan and the Captain of the Sixth Squad. He was not with _Byakuya._

He was with a man who was an institution, who had a thousand walls put up worthy of the figure he was. This Kuchiki Byakuya felt completely out of Ichigo's reach.

It was next to impossible to imagine he had been dancing with this same person the previous day. That these same cold eyes had been burning with lust at that time. That those same hands, now in the white tekkou and neatly folded, had been on his body. That this same poised body had been moving with the music against his own.

Ichigo felt a little lost now, and the Kuchiki manor made him feel alone all over again. He felt like what he had with Byakuya was gone, and needed to begin from scratch now. _What I have with Byakuya? What exactly is that?_ But surely, there was something, since the beginning of Byakuya's mission, growing between them. Friendship? Attraction? Something more? Yet, it seemed far away now, if not non-existent.

Ichigo was never someone to pay heed to rank or noble blood. Those things meant nothing to him, all people were equal. But he could see now how Byakuya's position in society came between them, even in just sitting here with him. Or rather, it came between who Byakuya was, as a person, and who Kuchiki Byakuya had to be for his name and rank. Even though he was cold and detached by nature, Ichigo felt that the person who had been by his side at Karakura town was far more accessible to _Byakuya._ Ichigo wanted to be with _Byakuya_, to find more and more of who that person was. It was not the same, sitting here as the esteemed guest of the head of the Kuchiki clan, in a garden as perfect as the image his host held in Soul Society.

Ichigo had always felt that Byakuya had a tough life, with the all the expectations and duties he had to bear, all the pride and honor he had to uphold, all the restraint he had to maintain. He wondered if there was anyone who could do that as well as Byakuya, but he was sure that even though he made it look completely effortless, it was a difficult task. Maybe the mission in Karakura Town had been a little break, some respite for Byakuya. Ichigo wondered if he could bring Byakuya more respite, somehow. Though he was sure the noble did not feel any need for it.

Ichigo felt confused now. The Byakuya he was with in Karakura Town had seemed more like the actual person, but was it really Byakuya? Or was he only complete when his rank and upbringing, and his noble image, was involved. Perhaps this cold figure was the real Byakuya? Either way, the man was a beautiful mystery.

"You have my gratitude for accepting the invitation," Byakuya's deep voice interrupted Ichigo's thoughts. Ichigo realized he had been staring at Byakuya the whole time, and blushing slightly he turned his face away. The noble continued talking in his smooth monotone, "And the answer to your question is: no, that is not why I have invited you here."

With his face still towards the gardens rather than Byakuya, Ichigo sneakily brought his gaze to meet the noble's. "What about my first question?"

Byakuya's brows furrowed to their familiar frown as he tried to figure out what Ichigo meant.

But Ichigo asked his question again, with a huge smirk on his face. "Did you miss me?"

Byakuya glared at him now and in an icy tone he replied, "Kurosaki Ichigo, the hours that I spent away from you were the most peaceful that I have had in a long time."

_Bastard! _Thought Ichigo, scowling at the noble.

_I didn't say it was a good thing, _thought Byakuya.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I had the best day in a long time, with you out of my hair." Ichigo said, aware that he was lying through his teeth but with Byakuya it was always a battle of pride. In his hurry to protect his pride, however, Ichigo missed the fleeting look of disappointment that graced the noble's perfect features before it went back to its usual icy expressionless calm.

"I see," came the cold reply.

"The only reason I came here is to hear your explanation," said Ichigo.

"You require an explanation, from me?" Byakuya raised his brow slightly as he asked the question impassively.

"Yes, you idiot! What the hell are you doing back here acting like a garden decoration?" Ichigo burst out, finally having the chance to tell Byakuya off like he wanted to the whole day. "And why did you make such a rude exit? Packing your stuff and leaving without saying a word? What the hell is wrong with you, Byakuya?"

Byakuya's forehead creased, and he resisted bringing his hand up to smoothen it out. Only Kurosaki Ichigo could have the audacity to raise his voice in such a manner against him. _A garden decoration?! _ "Be quiet," he reprimanded in a dangerously cold low tone. "Will you ever learn to behave yourself, brat?"

"Says the arrogant, rude bastard who walks out of the house he was a guest at, without an explanation, in the dead of the night!" Ichigo snapped back.

Byakuya toned down his glare as he kept his gaze locked into Ichigo's enraged brown eyes. After a few moments of silence, he replied. "My intention was not to offend you. It was late at night there when I got summoned back to Soul Society, you were asleep, as was your family."

"You could have left a message or something! I was worried that something went wrong, damn it!" It was after saying those words that Ichigo realized he did not want Byakuya to know that. He blushed, noticing how Byakuya's eyes had widened. Hurriedly he continued, "And why did they summon you back? What about your mission? I still haven't lost my powers."

_Kurosaki Ichigo, were you worried about me?_ Byakuya wondered as he looked at the earnest brown eyes. Holding himself back from sighing, he calmly explained to his orange haired guest, "The mission has not been discontinued, and I am still in charge of it. However, with Karakura town itself restored to a normal state, and with your powers still stable with little indication of them disappearing very soon, the Gotei 13 and Central 46 decided to recall me to Soul Society because the Sixth Squad and the Kuchiki Clan were going on without their leader for a long time. In other words, there was work to be done here, for which my presence was required. Especially an important meeting of the clan council scheduled for the day after tomorrow."

Ichigo listened quietly.

"In the meantime, I was to keep track of your condition using surveillance from Soul Society, and return to Karakura Town or dispatch my subordinates there should the need arise," continued Byakuya. "However, I did not know, and still do not, whether I would be making a return to Karakura Town or not. So I did not bid your family farewell or express my gratitude when I left. I hope that my behaviour did not offend you. If it turns out that I will no longer be required to return there, I will send your family a gift basket to express my thanks."

"To hell with your gift basket! You could have said bye! Karin and Yuzu were pretty upset about what you did." Ichigo yelled. He was angry, both at Byakuya and himself. At himself because of the wild thought in his head right now where he wished his powers would drop dramatically sometime soon, so that Byakuya would go back with him!

"Please tell the children that I apologize if I have hurt their sentiments." Byakuya said somewhat stiffly and quickly, but Ichigo could read the sincerity in his words.

"Yeah, okay," answered Ichigo. "So, you didn't tell me yet. What exactly am I doing here? What did you invite me to your manor for?"

Byakuya paused. After a few seconds of silence, he replied with masked truth. "It was to settle a personal lingering need for reassurance. Even though the Gotei 13 says from the data that observing you from a distance will suffice - I still am on mission to watch over you, and I felt I could do it better if you were nearby." What he did not say was, _I needed to bring you here, it did not feel right not having you by my side._

Ichigo had a strange feeling that Byakuya was threading through several loopholes, but he couldn't quite grasp what the noble's objectives were. "I have a _life _Byakuya. You can't keep me here because you're a workaholic perfectionist!"

An amused glint appeared in Byakuya's eyes, surprising Ichigo. "You make it sound as though I've kept you prisoner, Kurosaki Ichigo. You are a guest of my home now. I am not _keeping _you bound here."

Interesting images of a _bound _Ichigo flashed through both their minds, before they quickly composed themselves, unknown to the other.

"What I meant was," said Ichigo willing himself not to blush, "Do you plan for me to stay until I lose my powers? We don't know when that will happen."

"I only meant to monitor you for a while. I will not keep you here indefinitely," replied Byakuya. "Since I had to leave abruptly, I am not satisfied with having enough data to draw conclusions about, even if the Twelfth Squad differs in opinion."

Leaning forward, Byakuya clipped a monitoring bracelet on Ichigo's wrist, briefly letting his fingers rest against the warmth of Ichigo's skin and surprised that Ichigo actually wore the bracelet without protesting this time.

Ichigo's pulse quickened at the feel of Byakuya's fingers lightly brushing his skin, as he found himself gazing longingly at the noble's face as he leaned forward to put the bracelet on him. Ichigo inhaled the beautiful scent he had missed all day.

Byakuya did not miss the way Ichigo had looked at him, but Ichigo attempted a diversion and said, "You cut your hair."

"Yes, I have." Byakuya was surprised that Ichigo was observant enough to notice the detail. He had indeed trimmed his tresses to his preferred length, his hair had grown out while he was at the World of the Living, where his hairstylist was not available.

The sun was setting now, and Ichigo realized why Byakuya had chosen this garden to welcome his guest – it had a wonderful view of the sunset, at which Byakuya was gazing now. The sky was a glorious picture of shades of orange, with the clouds hued pink and violet around the soft yellow sun which was dipping into the horizon.

Ichigo, however, marveled at how the orange glow of the sunset cast a lovely colour on Byakuya's pale skin, how his shiny black hair reflected the soft light, how that placid, content expression on the noble's face was more calming than the sunset itself.

Byakuya's grey eyes now looked at Ichigo. The boy's brilliant orange hair looked alive and vibrant in the light of the setting sun, his brown eyes looked softer rather than assertive, but the play of light and shadows on the rest of his chiseled face was breathtaking and intriguing.

"This is a beautiful sight," stated Byakuya, as he turned his eyes to the setting sun.

Ichigo did not feel like looking away from Byakuya to the sky, but he answered, "Yes, it really is."

Byakuya's eyes were now looking into his again. Ichigo held his breath, willing himself not to get lost in the beauty of the grey depths, unable to fathom why it seemed to be searching him or pulling him in.

Byakuya could not tear his gaze away from the lovely brown eyes which could hold so many emotions in one instant – what was it right now? Confusion, appreciation, determination and defiance? He was not sure. But one thing was for certain, that despite missing his home so much while in Karakura town, now that he was back in the Kuchiki manor, Byakuya was still relinquishing the last few moments of the sunset to look into those eyes instead.

The sun disappeared beyond the horizon and twilight fell upon the Kuchiki manor, but the two sat with their gazes interlocked, in silence.

Finally, Byakuya stood up gracefully and started heading inside. "Kurosaki Ichigo, would you like to join me for some tea?"

* * *

><p><strong>Next Chapter: The Party<strong>

**A/N (1) : **Soul Society and the World of the Living have different time zones. Because I said so. Okay? Also, I don't recall Ichigo being in the Kuchiki manor anytime in canon, so this is supposed to be his first time there.

**A/N (2):** I must be in a fluffy mood. The next chapter will have a good deal of fluff too. But this isn't regular fluff, it's ByaIchi fluff. In other words, it's fluff with attitude. And stubbornness. Please bear with the stubborn ByaIchi, since that is a main theme of this story. Don't worry, I have _a plan!_

Thank you to all the lovely reviewers, it's nice to know how the readers reacted to the turn of events. Let me know how you like this chapter!

(To my reviewer "querty" , I'm replying here since I can't send you a message - I'm very flattered that you think I could pull off the weird situations while keeping our favourite boys in character. That is exactly what I've been trying to do, it makes me happy that you think I could!)


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: **This chapter turned out very long, I hope you still enjoy it! Thank you everyone for the lovely reviews. You guys make my day!

To my reviewer Dianne060807, I'm sorry but I'm personally against the idea of mpreg, so please do not expect this story to turn into one! I'm a student of science, and while two hot men having sex (the basic concept of yaoi!) seems scientifically possible, a man having a baby (the concept of mpreg) is just plain wrong. But that is my opinion, of course, I mean no offence to mpreg fans. I hope you can still enjoy the story for the ByaIchi, without the babies!

To Qwerty, I wanted to add this before, but Ichigo showering is canon! He showers in Chapter 528 in the manga (and it's heartbreaking we weren't given a better view!). Besides, I'm pretty sure the Japanese have showers as well as baths.

_On with the story!_

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><p><strong>Chapter 17: The Party<strong>

By the next day, Ichigo had settled into a relaxed vacation mood, for the stay as a guest at the Kuchiki manor felt like a vacation and a rather luxurious one. The manor itself was grand, though Ichigo had seen only parts of it. The grounds were absolutely beautiful and seemingly endless. The servants were faultless in their service, they even offered to dress and bathe him, which Ichigo declined. Ichigo was surprised that the bathroom in his quarters held both the most modern and expensive facilities as well as an enormous traditional bath – in fact, bathing in it turned out to be a lavish relaxing experience. The first night at the manor took a little time for Ichigo to settle into, lying alone in his enormous room after being so used to sharing his small bedroom with Byakuya recently. The manor was eerily quiet at night, and Ichigo had been lying awake in his futon in the moonlight streaming through from oustide, unable to sleep for a long time. His imagination kept straying uncontrollably to ridiculous ideas of going off to find Byakuya's room and joining him, and enticing images of how it would be if Byakuya himself came to Ichigo's room and pinned him to the futon...Ichigo blushed and heated up, pushing those thoughts out of his head as he tried to fall asleep. Sleep finally overcame him as his mind fuzzily pondered over the beautiful calligraphy that hung in his quarters, which said "Bond".

The food at the manor was fit for royalty, gourmet meals prepared immaculately by top class chefs with what were obviously the best ingredients available, served in china that was expensive and intricate. Though the food was heavenly, Ichigo found that the mealtimes were extremely quiet, with little or no conversation. He had dinner with Byakuya the previous night, and the noble did not talk at all but ate in silence with elegance that made Ichigo self-conscious of his own table manners. At breakfast, however, they were joined by Rukia who had returned from her squad barracks and Ichigo felt a little more at ease.

After breakfast, Byakuya left for work, and Ichigo spent the morning catching up with, laughing and annoying Rukia, who had the day off that day. She showed Ichigo through more of the manor and its grounds. Ichigo found that the more he saw of the manor, the bigger it seemed to get. His jaw dropped when he found that a river, _a freaking river_, flowed through the grounds. Rukia said that the quarters which had the view of the river were Byakuya's.

As they walked together, they felt grateful for the chance to hang out this way.

"This is so much fun! I'm so glad Nii-sama invited you here, Ichigo," said Rukia, as they stood by the lake now and watched the glittering koi underneath the surface, at which Ichigo marveled like a child. "Oh and I almost forgot to tell you, Ukitake taichou has arranged a party this evening in your honour. Because so many of the Shinigami want to meet you, we thought it would be a great idea. It's at the barracks of the Thirteenth Squad."

"A party, for me?" Ichigo asked excitedly. "Sounds fun!"

Soon, Rukia took his leave since she was helping to arrange the party. Ichigo decided to head out and wander about the Seretei, meet up with some of his Shinigami friends. For some reason, he decided to head to the Sixth Squad offices first – _to meet Renji, surely, that's why I'm going there!_

In the Captain's Office at the Sixth Squad, Kuchiki Byakuya sat at his desk looking through stacks of paperwork and with elegant flicks of his hand placing his signature where required. At another desk in the room, his Vice Captain was working away diligently. Byakuya was grateful that Renji had been flawless in handling the squad in his absence. Anything less would have been unacceptable.

Suddenly, Kuchiki Byakuya's concentration and thoughts were interrupted by a very familiar reiatsu approaching, and before he had the time to wonder what he was doing here, Kurosaki Ichigo barged in through the office door yelling "RENJI!"

The redhead Vice Captain had been too absorbed in his work to notice that Ichigo was approaching, and he was startled at his friend's sudden greeting. Renji promptly punched Ichigo in reply.

"What the hell did you startle me for, idiot?" Asked Renji.

"I came to visit you, and you punch me in the face?" Ichigo whined.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, do not barge into my office with manners that would embarrass a cave-man. If you cannot enter with proper etiquette, do not enter at all." Byakuya's cold voice intervened.

Ichigo was about to hand him a smart-ass reply, but Renji's hand clamped over his mouth. "Taichou, I was about to take a break soon anyway. If you will please allow me twenty minutes off, sir, I will see to what Ichigo is here for."

Byakuya considered his fukutaichou's request, and there seemed to be no reason to decline it. "Very well, Renji. I expect you back in the office in twenty minutes sharp. Make sure this brat does not disrupt the environment here any further."

Thanking his captain, Renji dragged his orange-haired friend outside.

"Ichigo, it's great to have you here but don't put Kuchiki Taichou in a bad mood," said Renji, "He'll take it out on me! And I need to leave from work without any overtime today. I'm looking forward to the party."

"I didn't put your Taichou in a bad mood, Renji. It's the stick up his ass that makes him so mean," Ichigo replied, scowling.

Renji chuckled. "And here I thought you guys were finally getting along with each other."

"Get along with _him_? I have a better chance of being friends with a block of ice."

_Oh, really? You seemed to be much more than friendly on that dance floor, _thought Renji, though he did not say so to Ichigo. There was no way he would let the two find out he had seen them _dancing._ It was difficult though, dealing with his own curiosity over what exactly was going on between the unlikely pair. _Kuchiki Taichou even invited him to his home!_

"Speaking of your captain, is he coming to the party?" Asked Ichigo, snapping Renji out of his thoughts.

"Kuchiki Taichou, coming to a party like this? Are you crazy?" Said Renji, amused. "I don't think he'd lower himself to any party other than those boring formal events nobles have."

"Is that guy completely alien to the concept of _fun_?" Ichigo wondered aloud. "Did anyone even ask him to join the party?" He added as an afterthought.

"I'm sure Rukia asked him, though we all know he'd decline." Answered Renji. "Why would you want him there anyway? I don't think I could even have fun if he was around!"

_That's kind of mean, _thought Ichigo. But he did not say it out loud, he did not want Renji thinking he was defending Byakuya.

The two friends walked about the Sixth Squad barracks talking until Renji's break time was up and he rushed back to his office. Going back to wandering around the Seretei, Ichigo began to wonder why his reiatsu was feeling strange all day. In fact, it had gotten worse while he was conversing with Renji, but he didn't tell the readhead because he did not want to worry him.

Soon, he realized that whatever was happening was taking a toll on him, because the streets of the Seretei suddenly blurred before his eyes. He quickly braced himself, seeking support against the wall he was walking past.

"Hey there, Ichigo!" A cheerful voice greeted. Ichigo turned in the direction of the voice to see that it was Rangiku san.

"Kurosaki, are you doing well?" A curt greeting followed from Hitsugaya Toshiro, who was with his Vice Captain.

Ichigo immediately collected himself and greeted them back. "Hi, Rangiku-san, Toshiro! Long time no see!"

"It's _Hitsugaya Taichou_," corrected Toshiro.

Rangiku laughed and said, "So, Ichigo, I heard Kuchiki Taichou invited you to Soul Society as his guest? That's really awesome! Oh, I'm so jealous, you get to stay in that beautiful manor!" She went on rambling. "Wait till you see the cute dress I'm wearing to the party this evening!"

Ichigo was barely listening, for suddenly his reiatsu shot up really high and he struggled to keep it down.

"Kurosaki, what are you doing? Control your reiatsu!" Warned Toshiro, surprised.

"Ichigo, are you alright?" Asked Rangiku, concerned.

His reiatsu plummeted down as suddenly as it had spiked. Ichigo felt weak and dizzy. He swayed, about to fall.

"Kurosaki!" Hitsugaya exclaimed.

"Ichigo!" Rangiku said at the same time, and the Captain and Vice Captain of the Tenth Squad were about to flash step to the Substitute Shinigami's side.

Before they could, however, a figure flash stepping at unbelievable speed was already at Ichigo's side.

Ichigo had lost his balance, and could only watch as he fell towards the ground, waiting for the impact helplessly.

But a pair of strong arms broke his fall, holding him firmly. Ichigo did not need to turn around or even recognize the reiatsu to figure out who it was. _Byakuya._

Not too long ago, Ichigo's reflex reaction to being held by Byakuya in such a situation would be to struggle out of his grip, but now he found himself giving in to his support, leaning back against Byakuya as he steadied him.

"You're slow, even when you are falling..." Byakuya spoke into his ear.

Ichigo immediately stiffened. These were the same words that Byakuya had uttered when he had inflicted life threatening blows across Ichigo's body the time when he had come to take Rukia back to Soul Society from Karakura Town. Byakuya had slashed across him with the intention to kill him. The pain and desperation of that moment was still vivid in Ichigo's memory. To hear Byakuya's voice say those same words again when he was falling, chilled Ichigo to the core. This was the same man who had ruthlessly tried to kill him, not just once. The very same man. Ichigo started struggling out of his grip. He did not want to be in those arms, steadied by the same hands that had slashed him and left him to die in a pool of blood, rain and tears on a street in Karakura Town. But even in his sudden panic and repulsion, Ichigo could tell something was vastly different in the way Byakuya had spoken the same words as then.

"...It makes it easier for me to catch you," Byakuya finished his sentence, his voice carrying unusual warmth as he spoke firmly but gently right against Ichigo's ear.

Ichigo went very still now. When Byakuya finished that sentence, all the sudden insecurity he had felt about being near the noble disappeared and all the old mental wounds that had reopened closed up. Byakuya's voice sent vibrations down his ear, Byakuya's breath was warm against his skin. Byakuya's words were almost an apology for his past ruthlessness, and they were a reassurance that he was here for Ichigo now, to catch him when he was falling.

Ichigo's reiatsu spiked and fell again, and as another wave of dizziness hit him, he let his body go limp in Byakuya's strong arms.

He did not fall. Byakuya did not let him.

Whether it was because of the sense of security, or simply his reiatsu returning to normal, Ichigo found himself feeling alright again and started supporting himself on his own feet rather than against Byakuya's body.

That was when he noticed that Rangiku and Toshiro were still standing before them, gaping at them in wide eyed expressions of shock and confusion.

_What the hell did we just see? _Thought Toshiro, disturbed.

_What in the world is going on here? It's so cute though! _Thought Rangiku, in awe.

Then, she spoke up. "Ichigo, what happened? Are you alright now?"

His hands still on Ichigo's sides to support him in case he was dizzy again, Byakuya spoke up now, his voice back to its regular cold monotone. "I will take care of this situation. Do not concern yourselves with it. I am on a mission in charge of his condition after all."

Ichigo finally stepped away from Byakuya, embarrassed by the way the Tenth Squad leaders were looking at them.

Rangiku and Toshiro exchanged glances, confused by the whole situation. Toshiro could tell, however, that Kuchiki was indirectly asking them to leave. And he knew they could count on the Captain of the Sixth Squad to dutifully watch over Ichigo in his state. Besides, what they had witnessed between Kuchiki and Ichigo was somewhat unfathomable, in a way that left him uncomfortable. Taking leave from this place seemed the best option, so Toshiro said, "Very well. We'll be off now. Kurosaki, take care of yourself!"

With that, Toshiro and Rangiku left, and Ichigo was alone on the street with Byakuya standing behind him. Remembering what Byakuya had said into his ear, and how he said it, made Ichigo blush and feel confused. So he didn't turn to face the noble as he asked, "Weren't you in your office? What are you doing here?"

"I sensed your reiatsu fluctuating," answered Byakuya.

"Byakuya, what's going on with my reiatsu? I've been sensing a discomfort all day, and then it suddenly went up and drained me," Ichigo said in a quiet, worried voice. With a pause he added, "Does this mean I'm losing my powers?"

There was silence for a second, and then Byakuya replied, "Kurosaki Ichigo, I do not think this is the process of losing your powers for good. I had actually anticipated something like this would happen, but did not tell you for I was unsure." Ichigo turned to face him now, frowning at his words. Byakuya continued, "Your reiatsu has been lower than what it used to be, in the World of the Living. However, here in Soul Society, there were suddenly many sources of powerful reiatsu around you. That affected your reiatsu, causing it to suddenly rise. However, that sudden rise was too much given your condition, which is why you felt weak afterwards."

Ichigo considered Byakuya's words. The noble sounded like he knew what he was talking about, and Ichigo knew Byakuya would not speak this way if he did not mean it. The explanation seemed logical too, for he had met three very powerful presences in succession before his reiatsu shot up. "Okay, I see," said Ichigo, running his fingers through his spiky orange hair, not caring that he was messing it up. "A little warning would have been nice."

"I did not want to alarm you unnecessarily." Came the reply. Byakuya now started walking past Ichigo. "Come, let's go back to the Kuchiki manor. Do you not need to prepare for the party you are attending?"

"Oh crap, I almost forgot about that," said Ichigo, catching up to walk alongside Byakuya. His brow creased as he wondered how his reiatsu would react at the party full of so many powerful Shinigamis. But he couldn't possibly cancel going to a party thrown in his honour. Then he remembered what Rangiku said about the cute dress she was going to wear. "Err, Byakuya, do people go to parties in the Seretei in uniform?"

Byakuya resisted scoffing at the foolish question. "Why would someone attend a party in their work clothes, Kurosaki Ichigo? It would be unsightly and indecorous."

"Well, that sucks. I don't have anything to wear! I only came here with the shihakusho I was wearing," Ichigo wondered what to do about this situation. "Hey can you tell me where I could find a place to buy some other clothes or something?"

"You may borrow something from my wardrobe for this evening, Kurosaki Ichigo," replied Byakuya.

Ichigo's eyes widened in surprise. "Really? Thanks Byakuya! That would save me a lot of trouble."

"It seems pointless to buy new clothes for one evening, and it would make you late. And I doubt you had the foresight to bring any money with you," said Byakuya. Ichigo gave an embarrassed chuckle in reply, for he had indeed no money on him at all. Byakuya continued, "As you are my guest, it is my duty to offer you my assistance in the matter."

They continued on their way back to the manor, with little conversation the rest of the way. Ichigo noticed, however, that Byakuya was flash stepping at a very modest speed. He wondered if it was out of consideration for his condition. _Or maybe he just wanted a leisurely walk home?_

* * *

><p>Back at the manor, Ichigo took a refreshing bath and then styled his hair back into its usual spikes. He actually took the servant's assistance this time for getting dressed, because he did not have much experience in putting on this style of clothing. Ichigo was standing facing the full length mirror in his dressing room as the servant dressed him.<p>

He stared at his own reflection, finding it difficult to recognize himself. The outfit Byakuya had lent him was extremely beautiful, made of expensive fine silk. The kimono was royal blue, with simple but aesthetic white and silver swirls embroidered on it. The sleeves were long. The hakama was grey-blue and the obi royal blue. There was nothing flashy about the outfit, but it exuded class and sophistication. It had surely been perfectly tailored for Byakuya, but it also fit him just fine. However, Ichigo couldn't help but feel he was out of place in such clothing, even though his reflection appeared otherwise. He felt suddenly insecure about his appearance, he was sure his orange hair clashed terribly with the refined blue of his outfit, that his brash nature sullied the elegance of the clothing. He could imagine how ethereal, regal and gorgeous Byakuya would look in the same clothes.

Just as he was thinking of Byakuya, the man himself appeared at the doorway. "May I come in, Kurosaki Ichigo?" He spoke in his deep voice, which made Ichigo's skin tingle.

"Yeah, sure." Ichigo replied, surprised at how his own voice sounded shy and tame.

Byakuya walked in and stood behind Ichigo as the servant put final adjustments to the latter's clothes. The two were looking at each other's reflections in the mirror.

"This outfit is really beautiful, Byakuya. Thanks for lending it to me," said Ichigo. "Though something so gorgeous probably doesn't suit me at all." He added quietly.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, how dare you say such a thing, when I have personally chosen this outfit specifically because I thought it would suit you?" Byakuya said, his cold voice threatening.

"You chose it yourself? That's really nice of you. I thought perhaps you let the servants pick something from your closet." Said Ichigo, surprised.

"Yes, I chose it myself, and I can see that my choice was correct," replied Byakuya. His eyes scanned over Ichigo's reflection, from head to toe, in an appreciating gaze. As he had expected, his orange-haired temptation looked absolutely stunning in these clothes. The orange shock of his hair stood out brilliantly against the calm blue of the outfit. Their heights being similar, his clothing fit Ichigo quite well. He had instructed the servant to put the clothing on him in a way that suited the boy, and he was pleased to see that more of his tempting chest had been left exposed at the neckline than when Byakuya wore the same clothing himself. The _strawberry _was absolutely delectable, and Byakuya brought his appreciating eyes back to Ichigo's, which were watching him wide with surprise.

Ichigo felt somewhat breathless under that powerful gaze of Byakuya's grey eyes, suddenly so open in appreciation rather than cold and expressionless. It made his heart flutter.

The servant was done adjusting the clothes on Ichigo, and with a bow excused himself and left.

Byakuya stepped closer to Ichigo now, and they still looked at each other in the mirror. Ichigo could not believe how his heart raced from having Byakuya close to him and from the way Byakuya was looking at him. His throat felt dry and he swallowed, and he felt a little stupid to be standing there unable to say anything.

"This look is very flattering on you, Kurosaki Ichigo," stated Byakuya, holding Ichigo's brown eyes in his strong gaze.

Ichigo wanted to say, _Did you just compliment me? Did someone hit you on the head?_ But he could not find his voice to put his shock into words. He was sure it was evident from his expression though.

"There is one more accessory you will be wearing tonight," Byakuya continued in his monotone.

"Another accessory? Where?" Ichigo found his voice and looked around the dressing room, confused. He thought he had completed dressing for the evening.

But then he noticed in the mirror that Byakuya was holding up his hand, in which he held a silver necklace with a pendant.

"Jewelry?" Ichigo was taken aback. "Thanks, but I really don't think it's necessary. The clothes look fine on their own, you don't have to - " Ichigo stopped in mid-sentence because Byakuya had just placed the necklace across his neck, and began fastening it at the back.

He could feel Byakuya's breath on the back of his neck, and as he fastened the ends of the necklace, Byakuya's fingers brushed against his skin. He could feel how close Byakuya was and he could see it in the mirror. Ichigo's brain shut down. His pulse raced wildly. He simply gaped at the noble's reflection, at that serene flawless face just behind him. Byakuya had finished fastening the necklace, and he now adjusted it so that it was in the middle of Ichigo's chest where it reached down the front.

In his confusion and thrill, Ichigo was not able to notice it first. But now he realized, there was something very strange about the necklace. It seemed to be suffocating him, trying to cancel out his reiatsu. Ichigo panicked, choked by the feeling of his reiatsu being closed off and helpless at his breathlessness and the world darkening around him.

The source of the problem was the necklace, and Ichigo's hands reached up to tear it off himself.

But something stopped his hands! He looked down to see Byakuya's hands tightly gripping his wrists.

"Byakuya! Let go! There's something wrong with this necklace!" Ichigo struggled in Byakuya's grip. What was the noble doing? Couldn't he see Ichigo was really suffering here? That his powers were being forcefully restrained by that necklace, that he couldn't breathe properly. "Damn it, Byakuya! Let go of me!"

Ichigo was putting in all the strength he could, but Byakuya's hands held his wrists down painfully. Ichigo glared with eyes full of rage and desperation, and Byakuya's calm face in the mirror made him angrier. "Byakuya, what the fuck is wrong with you? Let me..." Ichigo pulled again, trying to free himself from the hands clenching around his wrists, but in vain, "...let me go!"

"Calm down, Kurosaki Ichigo," Byakuya spoke up, his grey eyes looking sternly at Ichigo's reflection as the boy thrashed about violently trying to wrestle off his hands. Byakuya kept his grip on Ichigo's wrists steady, and it was taking a considerable amount of strength against Ichigo's resistance.

"Calm down? CALM DOWN? This necklace is killing me! What the fuck are you trying to do Kuchiki Byakuya?" Ichigo yelled, furious now. The struggle against Byakuya's grip was as futile as trying to resist the way the necklace was shutting off his reiatsu.

Byakuya raised his voice now, "Kurosaki Ichigo, calm down at once. Do you think I put this on you with the intention of harming you?" He glared at Ichigo's reflection now, a freezing attack on Ichigo's eyes which were burning with rage.

At these words, Ichigo's struggle calmed down somewhat, and he looked inquiringly into Byakuya's eyes. His hands still tried to free themselves from Byakuya and rip the necklace off.

"Why the hell are you stopping me from taking this thing off? It _is _harming me!"

"Do not make me repeat myself," Byakuya hissed dangerously into Ichigo's ear and he tightened his grip on Ichigo's wrists. "If you stop resisting, the necklace will be more tolerable and I will explain what's going on."

Ichigo felt helpless and angry, he wanted to _beat the crap out of fucking Kuchiki Byakuya. _He wanted to rip the arrogant bastard apart. But something inside him decided to trust Byakuya's words, and he stopped his fierce struggle against the hands on his wrists.

He took a few deep breaths to calm down. He needed to calm down, not because Byakuya said so, but because he could not think straight enraged like this.

He looked at Byakuya's eyes in the mirror, and it may have been an illusion but he saw reassurance there.

_Kurosaki Ichigo, trust me._ Byakuya could not bring the words to his lips.

But for some reason, at that point, Ichigo decided to trust Byakuya and give up all his resistance. He closed his eyes and took a few more calming breaths. Sure enough, as Byakuya had said, the necklace felt more tolerable.

Byakuya's hands were still on his wrists but not forceful. Ichigo let his hands fall to his sides.

Feeling calmer now, he opened his eyes, and looked at the mirror again. He saw himself, flushed from anger and exertion, panting. He saw Byakuya behind him, face calm, and eyes observing him, no sign that he had been holding down a thrashing teenager forcefully.

"Byakuya, explain." Ichigo spoke up, finding that his voice was hoarse from all the yelling.

Byakuya suddenly turned Ichigo around so that he was facing him. "You have absolutely no control over your emotions, Kurosaki Ichigo." He admonished, and finally let go of Ichigo's wrists.

"Not everyone is an emotionless ice statue, Byakuya," Ichigo spoke back into the noble's face, looking directly at his eyes now. He rubbed his wrists which were stinging from pain. "You said you'd explain if I calmed down. Make it soon or I'll lose it again and beat you to pulp."

"For what reason?" Byakuya asked calmly.

"_For what reason_!? For this!" Ichigo pointed at the necklace. "What the fu-"

Byakuya interrupted him. "This necklace," he spoke keeping his voice cold and unruffled, "Is to keep your reiatsu in check. Had you not lost your composure, it was simple to figure out. Your reiatsu could react to all the powerful presences at the party like it did earlier today. The necklace will prevent it from rising out of control."

Ichigo froze, staring at Byakuya. _I was worried about that, about my reiatsu going out of control at the party. He...he thought of it too and..._

Regret and embarrassment seeped in as Ichigo realized he had panicked and revolted against Byakuya, who was trying to help him.

"I see," Ichigo spoke up after a few seconds of silence, his voice strained. "Is this made of sekkiseki stone?" He asked, looking down at the necklace.

"No, the necklace has a Kido spell. A binding spell over the reiatsu of the person wearing it," Byakuya replied. "Unlike sekkiseki stone, the effect of the necklace is reversed the instant you take it off. There will be no residual effect on your powers."

Ichigo looked into Byakuya's eyes, wondering if the noble could see that he was sorry for mistrusting his intentions, that he was grateful that Byakuya was trying to help him. He couldn't quite put it into words.

Byakuya gazed upon the softer look in Ichigo's brown eyes.

Then, he lifted his hand and reached for the pendant. He held the pendant between his fingers, allowing them to rest against Ichigo's chest, over the skin left bare at the front of his clothes.

Ichigo's breath hitched at the feeling of Byakuya's fingers touching his chest. His heart raced so wildly, he was sure Byakuya could feel it.

"This necklace," said Byakuya, lifting his gaze from Ichigo's chest back to his eyes, "Was a gift from my grandfather when I was a baby, because I was not capable of controlling my own reiatsu until I was older."

Ichigo's eyes widened at these words. "This...," he stammered, still overwhelmed by the simple touch on his skin, "This very necklace?"

"Yes."

"And you're letting me wear it?" Ichigo felt surprised and honoured, and very warm. "Thank you Byakuya. But I'm not sure you should trust me with something so important to you." He looked away from Byakuya's eyes, dropping his gaze to the noble's hand on his chest.

"At this moment, it is more important to you than it is to me," stated Byakuya . "Wear it for the rest of your stay in Soul Society, to avoid situations like earlier today when your reiatsu shot up and exhausted you."

"Yeah, okay," Ichigo said quietly. He then raised his hand and rested it on Byakuya's. He pressed on Byakuya's hand so that it flattened against his chest over the pendant. Byakuya did no move his hand away.

His hand on Byakuya's, Ichigo said, breathlessly, "Thank you, Byakuya."

Byakuya stayed silent until Ichigo finally looked back up at his eyes. Not removing his hand from the beautiful warmth between Ichigo's chest and Ichigo's hand, where it felt oh so wonderful, Byakuya stated in his expressionless monotone, "It seems even a short time in the Kuchiki manor has instilled some manners in you, Kurosaki Ichigo."

Ichigo's eyes went from dazed to indignant, and he snapped "Byakuya! I may be mean and brash and a lot of things, but I'm not ungrateful, okay?"

He was about to take his hand off Byakuya's, but the noble turned his hand around and clasped it around his, so that the back of Byakuya's hand now lay against his chest instead of the palm.

"There is no need to waste your breath telling me things I already know..." Byakuya said, his voice so lowered sexily. Then he began to slowly draw his hand down Ichigo's chest.

Ichigo was on fire. He couldn't believe how such simple acts could be so sexy when it was Byakuya performing them. But Byakuya's hand running down his chest, over the little amount of skin exposed in the front of his kimono, made his heart pound in his ears. He blushed, and was breathing fast. He tried to keep his eyes from fluttering shut at the enticing touch. He wished he could feel that slow tormenting hand on more of his bare skin.

Ichigo's toned perfect warm chest, with its smooth skin, moving with the boy's fast breathing and carrying each impact of his pounding heart, was an absolute treat to Byakuya's hand. He held his breath and gazed deeply into Ichigo's eyes and wondered at the delicious blush on that handsome face, as he let his hand graze down slowly, so slowly down his chest until he reached the fabric of the kimono.

"...especially when you are almost running late for your party." Byakuya completed his sentence, drawing his hand away.

Ichigo stood, dazed. He blinked a couple of times and tried to process what Byakuya was saying, his mind and body still reeling from Byakuya's touch even though the noble's hand was off him now.

"Oh shit! I really should get going!" He exclaimed, finally realizing what he was supposed to be doing instead of what he was doing with Byakuya in the dressing room. He ran a hand through his hair in frustration, realizing he didn't really want to leave, even though that moment was over. But he had to, and soon.

Byakuya watched, grey eyes glinting in what was probably amusement.

"I'll be off now. Thanks. Bye!" Ichigo hurried out, but then he paused at the door.

Turning back around, he asked, "Byakuya, why aren't you coming to the party? It will be fun."

Byakuya's eyes widened at Ichigo questioning the obvious. "Loud and boisterous parties are not my idea of fun, Kurosaki Ichigo."

"As if you _have any idea _of fun!" Retorted Ichigo. "Are you going to sit here alone and quiet in the manor while everyone is enjoying the party?"

Byakuya frowned at the jibe against him. "As I have stated, this is not the kind of event I am interested in attending. Moreover, my presence might actually prevent the others from enjoying themselves freely."

Ichigo hadn't expected that, for the Captain of the Sixth Squad to say something so similar to what the Vice Captain had said earlier that day. "Well, you _are _pretty much the textbook definition of a party pooper," Ichigo said, smirking.

Byakuya glared at him now. _How dare he? He really is nothing but a brat._ "Kurosaki Ichigo - "

" 'Later, Byakuya!" Ichigo interrupted him and took off in a flash step.

_An incorrigible brat!_

* * *

><p>Ichigo was already flash stepping fast through streets and over buildings of the Seretei, chuckling as he pictured the look on Byakuya's face when he called him a party pooper and left in the middle of the noble's reply.<p>

But as he headed to the party, Ichigo brought up his own wrists and looked at the red marks Byakuya's fingers had left there. Strangely, he felt no resentment at those marks.

Instead, without thinking of what he was doing, Ichigo brought his own wrists to his lips, and brushed his mouth along those red marks Byakuya had left on him.

For a few seconds, he felt giddy and fluttery. Then he thought, _What the hell am I doing?_

Blushing, he continued on his way to the party.

* * *

><p>The grounds of the Thirteenth Squad were lively and bursting with activity for the open air party had already begun when Ichigo arrived. It was a huge party, and somehow Ichigo was not surprised that Ukitake would go all out. As he made his entrance, eyes fell on him and people murmured among themselves. He seemed to be pretty famous here, but the people who didn't know him personally were unsure of how to approach him.<p>

Ichigo looked around for familiar faces. He saw a flash of familiarly red hair in the corner of his eye. Relieved, he headed towards Renji, finding his friend dressed in a bottle green yukata and surrounded by girls he was flirting with.

"Hey, Renji!" Ichigo called to his friend.

Renji turned around with a wide smile. "Ichigo! You're here!" He greeted. Then his face took on a surprised expression. "Whoa – you're dressed fancy!"

Before Ichigo replied, they were joined by more friends. "Hey Ichigo, is that you?" Said Ikkaku, ambling towards them, bald head shining. "I wouldn't recognize you if it wasn't for your hair! Look at you, dressed all fancy. Where the hell did you get clothes like that?" Ikkaku chuckled and sampled the material on Ichigo's sleeves. "Seems to be expensive shit!"

Ichigo protectively pulled away his sleeve. "The clothes aren't mine. Byakuya lent them to me."

"WHAT?" Ikaku and Renji stared at him with twin expressions of shock.

"What's the big deal? I didn't have anything to wear but my shihakusho. So he said I could borrow his clothes for the party," said Ichigo.

"Kuchiki Taichou let you borrow his clothes?" Renji asked, incredulous.

"Mr. High and Mighty lent you his expensive stuff? Pretty hard to believe that!" Said Ikkaku.

"But they're such beautiful clothes, and they make you look beautiful, Ichigo!" Yumichika, who had sauntered along after Ikkaku, added. "The only thing I don't dislike about Kuchiki Taichou has to be his aesthetic fashion sense!"

"Man, a noble's clothes make you look like a noble, Ichigo!" Ikkaku laughed. "Have you been spending too much time around that snob? Maybe you'll let him do your hair next and start walking around with the freaky white stuff in your hair, looking down upon everyone else!" The others, except Ichigo, joined in his laughter as they pictured Ichigo's hair slicked back into kenseikan.

Ichigo was starting to feel strange with all this scrutiny over his outfit and the way his friends were speaking of Byakuya, and he was relieved when Rukia walked to them. "Ichigo! You're finally here! I was wondering where you went off to, when we are having a party in your honour."

Ichigo was about to say something in reply, but Rukia exclaimed, "Ichigo! Those are Nii-sama's clothes! What the hell are you doing wearing them?"

Ichigo rolled his eyes, if he had known these clothes were so much trouble he would have simply worn his uniform! "Your brother lent them to me, Rukia. I didn't have anything else to wear." He explained. "I swear I'm going to kill the next person who talks about my clothes!"

"Well you better be extra careful with those clothes, Ichigo! If anything happens to them, I will kill you with my bare hands," threatened Rukia.

"Geez, Rukia, what do you think I am? A two year old?" Ichigo protested.

"You're _worse_ than a two year old," said Rukia, "And do you know that what you're wearing right now costs enough to buy a mansion?"

Ichigo gulped nervously. Rukia probably was not kidding. He felt even more protective of the clothing on him. "So what? Your brother can probably afford a hundred replacements without batting an eyelid!" Ichigo huffed. "Now will you guys _stop_ talking about my clothes?"

"Okay, clothes aside, you're even wearing jewelry!" Ikkaku pointed at the necklace.

"Oh, what a beautiful necklace!" Said Yumichika.

"What, did Kuchiki Taichou give you that too?" Ikkaku said as he reached for he necklace to inspect it.

Ichigo grabbed the necklace protectively with one hand and stopped Ikkaku with the other, much to everyone's surprise. All eyes were on the necklace now, and Renji and Rukia exchanged glances.

"Yeah, he did, and I don't know what the big deal is." Ichigo said. The others could see he was very close to losing his cool.

"Well, it's only natural to coordinate accessories with an outfit! What would you guys know about fashion?" Rukia said, hurriedly. "Come on, Ichigo, there are lots of people who want to meet you." She dragged Ichigo away.

When they were a bit of a distance away, she lowered her voice and sounding alarmed, she said, "Ichigo, there's a kido spell on your necklace!"

"Yes, there is." Ichigo stated calmly, much to Rukia's surprise. "What do you think I am, stupid? Of course I know that there's a spell on it! I'm wearing it!" Of course, Rukia did not need to know how he had reacted when he first put it on and failed to realize that it was kido affecting him.

"You said this was from my brother?" Rukia was confused now.

"Yeah – wait, you don't recognize this necklace?" Said Ichigo.

"Recognize it? I've never seen it before." Stated Rukia.

_Oh, I guess she never saw it since Byakuya only wore it when he was a child._ "Well it belongs to your brother, he gave it to me because my reiatsu was reacting to all the reiatsu sources in the Seretei. The spell on the necklace will keep that in check."

Rukia's eyes sparkled, "Oh, my brother is so kind and generous and wonderful."

"No, he's not," Ichigo said defiantly.

"Shut up, Ichigo!" Rukia scolded.

Soon, they all found themselves enjoying the festivities at the party. There was no scarcity of great food, drinks, and friends who were all in cheerful moods. Ichigo found himself very busy, talking to his friends from Soul Society who were seeing him after a long time, as well as meeting new Shinigami who wanted to be introduced to the man who defeated Aizen and saved Soul Society.

Ichigo spotted Ukitake san and Kyoraku san sitting under a tree, drinking, both jovial as usual. He went to join them.

"Ichigo, so nice to see you again!" Kyoraku san greeted, his voice slightly slurring from the alcohol. "Oh my, you are so fashionably dressed."

"Indeed, you look very handsome this evening, Ichigo," said Ukitake san, smiling warmly. He was obviously more sober than his friend. "Are those Byakuya's clothes?"

"Yeah, how did you know?" Asked Ichigo.

"Well, you are here as a guest of the Kuchiki clan leader, are you not? And it looks like the sort of thing that would belong in his wardrobe." Explained Ukitake. "I'm glad Byakuya invited you though, we've missed you here at Soul Society. It's great to be able to see you again, before you lose your powers and we can't meet." The atmosphere became a little gloomy as he said that.

"You're right. And Ukitake san, thank you for throwing this awesome party! I got to meet so many friends." Ichigo smiled.

"My pleasure, Ichigo! And Rukia helped me arrange everything." Ukitake patted his shoulder affectionately. "Ichigo, have you been well? You know that if there's anything you need to talk about, or seek advice on, you can ask me! This must be a difficult time for you."

Ichigo suddenly realized that the time which should have been laden with the conflict of losing his powers had been spent mostly on being distracted, angered, intrigued and attracted by Byakuya! It was quite unbelievable, now that he thought about it. How had Byakuya turned into something of an obsession for him when he was supposed to be pining over the loss of his own powers?

"I know, Ukitake san. But there isn't really anything like that on my mind, to ask you about." Ichigo replied to the gentle white-haired man.

There was a pause, and then Ichigo spoke without considering the consequences. "Well, there _is_ one thing I'd like to ask about..."

"Go ahead," Ukitake said in his fatherly tone, sipping on his sake. "What is it you want to ask me about?"

"About...Byakuya." Ichigo said, surprised at himself.

"Oh," Ukitake was somewhat surprised. "What about him? Has he been giving you a lot of trouble while on his mission? His attitude can be difficult to deal with, I understand."

"No, it's not that." Said Ichigo, biting his lip in confusion. "It's just...I don't...I don't understand Byakuya. He's so difficult to figure out. I thought you might be able to tell me more about him, I'm sure you know him better."

Ukitake was amused at the shyness in Ichigo's voice. He knew that tone. "Ichigo, it's true that I do know him better than a lot of people. Longer, at least, if not better." He said. "I'm sure you've realized there's a lot more to Byakuya than his cold facade."

"Yeah, I know. I want to know what that '_more' _ it's a pretty thick facade he keeps up." Ichigo replied.

"Well, Byakuya certainly is a mystery," said Ukitake. "But it will be best for you to unravel the mystery yourself, than to seek anyone's help. I can tell you that you won't be disappointed." He smiled knowingly at the teenaged Substitute Shinigami.

Ichigo blushed as the words 'unravel' and 'Byakuya' conjured some very naughty images in his mind. He looked away, hoping that Ukitake san did not notice he was going red.

Kyoraku san spoke up now in his slightly intoxicated drawl. "Did you and Byakuya finally become friends after he went to Karakura town?"

"Friends? I'm not so sure about that, Kyoraku san. You know how that guy is..." Replied Ichigo.

Ukitake and Kyoraku chuckled at that. "He did seem to resent it when I suggested to the Captain Commander that he was ideal for the mission," Ukitake added. "But I guess it wasn't so bad for him after all!"

Ichigo somehow doubted Byakuya would agree to that.

After a few more minutes of pleasant conversation on various topics with the two friendly captains, Ichigo went off to talk to some others and get some food.

Kyoraku watched as Ichigo walked away, and laughed quietly. "Oh my, Ukitake, what do we have here? Someone has a crush!"

Ukitake grinned knowingly. "It's unexpected, but rather cute, don't you think? I'm glad I said Byakuya should go on that mission."

* * *

><p>The party went on till it was quite late into the night already, and had no signs of stopping any time soon. Ichigo had actually enjoyed himself at first, but now he felt strangely out of place and awkward. For the past couple of hours, the party seemed too noisy and rowdy to him. There were too many people around, too much talking. Ichigo did not feel like socializing in such a crowd anymore.<p>

And by now, most of the Shinigami were decidedly drunk. Not far from him right now, a very drunk Ikaku and Renji were bickering and laughing ridiculously. Hisagi and Kira were singing loudly and out of tune. Nearby, Rukia and Rangiku san were bursting into drunk fits of giggles.

Ichigo sat at a little distance from them. He found it strange that he could not enjoy himself at the party. He really felt like he did not fit in place here.

He longed to be somewhere quiet and peaceful. Quiet and peaceful. Like Byakuya.

A cold pang of realization hit him. Ichigo was much more at ease in the placid company of Byakuya than in the lively cheerfulness of his friends. When had he become this way? Was it because of the time he spent in Byakuya's company while he was in Karakura town? Or had he always been this way, but didn't know until he had someone who made him feel tranquil?

Ichigo was a rash person, his emotions and temper always threatened to take over him, his mind felt restless at the slightest provocation. But Byakuya was always so calm, absolutely composed even when he was in conflict, keeping his senses above even his strongest emotions. Ichigo admired and envied that, and when he was with Byakuya it felt like his inherent calmness neutralized Ichigo's disruptiveness. It felt like a balance, and it lulled Ichigo's mind.

And now, at a fun filled party arranged by his friends, Ichigo felt the chaos around him to be nearly unpleasant, and he yearned to be with Byakuya, where he could feel peaceful. He wasn't as surprised at this realization as he should have been.

Instead, he looked around. His friends were quite drunk, and immersed in enjoying themselves. No one would notice if he snuck off now.

Ichigo took one of his typical impulsive decisions.

As discreetly as he could, Ichigo left the party and headed to the Kuchiki manor.

* * *

><p><strong>Next Chapter: Old Scars and New Perspectives<strong>

**A/N: **I enjoyed writing this chapter. Did you enjoy reading it? Let me know!


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: **Sorry, readers, for keeping you waiting for this extremely late update! Had my hands full of RL troubles with no time to indulge in fanfiction. But it feels really great to be writing again. I hope I haven't lost my touch, so please review and let me know whether or not you like it.

**Chapter 18: Old Scars and New Perspectives**

It was a beautiful moonlit night, with a gentle cool breezing blowing over the grounds of the Kuchiki manor. Nights like these were ideal ones for the head of the Kuchiki clan to be taking his solitary walks through his gardens, one of his favorite pastimes. Kuchiki Byakuya paused in his leisurely late night stroll to look up at the silver orb casting its serene glow over the manor grounds. The sight was calming, as was the breeze washing over him. The night was perfect to calm his mind. Though he showed nothing on the outside, his mind had been far too tempestuous for his liking lately. He knew why, and he did not want to think about it. A nighttime walk was perfect to soothe his raging thoughts, to rein in the control over himself that he was so proud of.

And just then, suddenly, the peace of the moonlight and the breeze around him were overpowered by an approaching reiatsu. A very familiar one, which belonged to the person who could be incriminated for his racing mind in the first place.

_So much for my peaceful walk, _thought Kuchiki Byakuya. He continued gazing at the moon for what was possibly the last few moments of his quiet solitary walk. _No, I am not looking forward to the imminent interruption._

Kurosaki Ichigo had returned to the Kuchiki manor, and he was surprised that he could trace Byakuya's reiatsu on the grounds rather than indoors. And he wasted no time in tracing out and heading to where he sensed that reiatsu. _What is the ice prince up to at this hour?_

He found Byakuya standing in the middle of one of the gardens, staring up at the sky. He was about to greet the noble noisily as was his habit, but the serenity of the surroundings hushed his voice and even his step as he landed from his shunpo on the grass.

Instead, Ichigo found himself standing quietly, taking in the sight of the lovely moonlit garden and the owner of the manor, who was far more beautiful than the night itself. Ichigo was sure there were no words to describe how Byakuya looked in the moonlight.

His pale skin and flawless features were ethereal in the gentle silvery light, his silken strands of black hair swayed gently in the night breeze. His expression was content and calm as he gazed at the moon, his beautiful grey eyes placid and appreciative. Ichigo noted that Byakuya was dressed in his nightclothes, with his hair free from the kenseikan. It made him look younger than usual. And the young clan leader was standing alone in his gardens under the night sky, outclassing the beauty of his surroundings with just his presence. Yet, even in the calm powerfulness Byakuya projected, Ichigo could not help but sense a hint of loneliness in the aura about the man. _For how many centuries has Byakuya walked through these gardens alone? He loves the quietness, surely. But does he always want the solitude?_

"It is unusual for a party to end so early." Byakuya's deep voice spoke up, rippling through the quiet night and sending a shiver down Ichigo's spine, drawing him out of his thoughts.

Byakuya was still looking at the moon even though he was talking to Ichigo. _Arrogant noble!_ _He knew I was here but didn't even bother sparing a glance!_

Silence fell over the gardens again, with the noble admiring the night sky and Ichigo trying not to admire the noble and to come up with a reply.

"Err, well," he managed to say. _Great now I can't even string together a proper sentence!_ "The party isn't exactly over."

Ichigo was surprised that Byakuya finally turned his head to look at him now, the cold grey eyes falling on him, expressionless save for a slight questioning look.

"Then why are you here?" Asked the head of the Kuchiki clan, letting some annoyance seep into his usual monotone. Unknown to Ichigo, Byakuya's breath had hitched when his eyes fell on him. If Byakuya had found the orange haired substitute Shinigami gorgeous in his blue silk outfit before, the sight was even more breathtaking in the moonlight. Ichigo's orange hair took on a very different hue and his stunning features became even more alluring out here under the night sky. Never had Kuchiki Byakuya seen a more beautiful sight on full moon nights at his manor. _Does he have any idea how attractive he is? Just standing there on my grounds and in my clothes but overshadowing everything with his uniqueness? Annoying brat!_

It was Byakuya's turn to be surprised, as Ichigo gave a nervous chuckle and scratched his neck and shifted on his feet awkwardly.

_He is acting stranger than usual, _thought the noble.

Ichigo was feeling more and more awkward as Byakuya continued to glare at him coldly. _I wish he'd go back to gazing at the moon. He seems pissed off that that I butted into his nighttime walk. And he wants and explanation? Why doesn't he stop glaring?_

"Why are _you_ here? Isn't it past your bedtime?" Ichigo tried a change of topic, pointing to Byakuya's plain white yukata which looked like something the noble would wear to bed.

Byakuya turned the glare up a notch.

_Okay, maybe it wasn't a good idea to question why he's in his own gardens._

Byakuya kept glaring at him.

"Argh! Fine. I'll tell you. The party was getting too noisy. Everyone was drunk. I was getting annoyed." Ichigo spoke really fast, looking away from those cold grey eyes glaring incessantly at him.

There was silence for a while. Ichigo finally looked in Byakuya's direction again, only to find the noble still glaring at him.

"You were annoyed by the party, so you came here?" Byakuya asked in a calculating cold manner.

"Yeah…" _I know, pretty hard to believe.  
><em>

"I would have thought you would find the party to be enjoyable."

"Well it was fun, at first! I was having a great time." Ichigo defended. "But then there were too many people, too much talking. And everyone started drinking and, well err…"

Ichigo's voice trailed off as Byakuya now went back to gazing at the moon, looking completely disinterested.

"Why were you not drinking?" Byakuya asked calmly, masking the curiosity he was actually feeling.

"You see, where I come from there's a legal age for drinking and I'm younger than that," explained Ichigo.

"Oh. I did not think you were one to respect the rules so much." Byakuya did not mask the wry tone to these words.

_That sneaky bastard! _Thought Ichigo. "Fine! You're right. I _did_ try drinking" He admitted sheepishly. "And it was horrible! How did the others drink so much of that stuff?" Ichigo cringed at remembering his first experience tasting alcohol, he hadn't expected it to be so unpleasant. _Now why did I just admit to this embarrassing fact to Byakuya of all people!_

Ichigo looked at the noble to find a very unusual expression on his face. Byakuya almost looked like he was in pain. _What's going on?_

Then, Ichigo realized what was happening.

"You bastard! You're almost about to _laugh_, aren't you?" Ichigo yelled, disrupting the peaceful night at the Kuchiki manor.

Indeed, Byakuya was having a very difficult time composing himself at the Substitute Shinigami's childlike behaviour. With that enormous sword and the name of being the savior of Soul Society, Ichigo still struggled with his first alcoholic drink. It was amusing indeed. As was the huge blush all over Ichigo's indignant face right now.

Byakuya finally managed to reign his amusement in and reply coldly to Ichigo, "Well, your antics are quite laughable, Kurosaki Ichigo."

Ichigo scowled at him, still red in the face. "Then why aren't you laughing?"

Byakuya's reply was a questioning look.

"Why aren't you laughing? Why are you holding it back though I can see you're about to crack up?" Challenged Ichigo. "Does your face _break _if you laugh?"

Byakuya returned to gazing at the moon.

_Would it kill him to show any expression other than the rare annoyance or rage? _Thought Ichigo.

After a few seconds of silence, Ichigo spoke up again. "You know, Byakuya, I've _unfortunately_ had to spend a lot more time with you than I'd like to lately. And I've never seen you smile."

Byakuya stayed quiet.

"Do you even _know_ how to smile?" Asked Ichigo.

This time Byakuya actually replied. "Of course I _know _how to smile. You must be as dense as you appear to ask such a thing."

Ichigo did not let the insult go unnoticed, but went on, "So you say, but it doesn't seem to me like you ever smile…"

Byakuya turned to face Ichigo again, his brows creased to show that he was annoyed at the teenager's constant nagging. Never in all the full moon nights in his life had Kuchiki Byakuya been interrupted so many times in his moon-gazing! And Byakuya was sure that if it was anyone else, he would have been able to ignore them outright. _This impudent brat is tearing my eyes away from the beauty of the moon and sullying the silent night with his pointless talk, when he's supposed to be attending a party in his honour!_

"So, what makes you smile, Byakuya?" Ichigo continued, his arms crossed as though he was challenging the expressionless clan leader.

Eager to put an end to this conversation _with this imbecile_, Byakuya replied in a matter of fact tone _because surely nothing could be more obvious_ _and simple_, "I smile when I am happy, Kurosaki Ichigo."

Unknown to the noble, these words suddenly hit Ichigo like a cold, cruel blade through his heart.

Byakuya was surprised that there was no impertinent comeback at his words, and then he noticed the silent Kurosaki Ichigo's expression.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, it seems something has upset you." Byakuya stated, confused at what exactly was going on with the teenager.

After a few more seconds of silence, Ichigo replied quietly, "Yeah."

Byakuya's brows creased, his patience was running thin with his guest's absurd mood swings. _What now? _"What is the matter?" He asked coldly without betraying any hint of concern.

"Well, it's just that you never smile. And you said you smile when you are happy…" Ichigo could not say much more. He felt a terrible wave of sadness washing over him, he could not face the noble like this. _Is Byakuya that unhappy? Does anyone do anything about it?_ Ichigo was surprised too at how much it bothered him. It felt like his heart was breaking into two. Why was he feeling this way for Byakuya, of all people?

Ichigo turned and walked away, saying "Goodnight, Byakuya."

It took a second or two for Byakuya to comprehend what had just happened. And he was completely stunned! Firstly, his statement about smiling when he was happy was not a deep one, rather a sardonic statement of the obvious. He hadn't even put any thought behind that. Secondly, he would never have expected Kurosaki Ichigo to become so depressed over what the boy thought was an absence of happiness in his life.

Thirdly, "_it's just that you never smile"_? Byakuya had perfected his control over himself for centuries, and keeping himself unruffled and devoid of expression was part of his image as the head of the Kuchiki clan. It wasn't easy for him to stray from his nature and actually express his feelings in front of people._ The imbecile! Just because he hasn't seen me smile, he thinks I never smile!_

Byakuya wanted to call Ichigo back to explain to him that things were not what as boy was thinking. That there was no need to be so concerned and upset over it. But he could not find his voice, as he saw the melancholy way Ichigo was walking away. The concern for him made Byakuya feel warm and confused. _When was the last time I saw someone care this much for me? _And of all people, _why Kurosaki Ichigo?_

It was too peaceful a night to worry about why Byakuya was letting himself get closer to Ichigo. Byakuya let Ichigo walk away from him under the moonlight.

* * *

><p>Back at the party, Rukia asked Renji, "Did Ichigo just leave the party?"<p>

The two of them were better than their other friends at holding their alcohol, and even though they were drunk they had taken notice of what Ichigo had thought of as a stealthy exit.

"Yeah, it seems he left for good. Cheeky bastard didn't even bother saying goodbye!" Replied Renji.

"That's kind of strange coming from Ichigo." Said Rukia. "Where do you think he went? Should we go after him?"

"Err. I think I sensed his reiatsu heading towards the Kuchiki manor, Rukia."

"What? Oh dear, I don't think Nii sama will be too pleased at Ichigo's early return."

Renji's mysterious smirk in reply confused Rukia. "I wouldn't bet on that, Rukia. Are you forgetting that your brother invited Ichigo to the Kuchiki manor in the first place?"

"Yeah I guess you're right. But I'll beat the crap out of Ichigo tomorrow morning! How can he just leave the party we threw for him like that? It's not like he enjoys Nii-sama's company more than his friends', after all!" Rukia said angrily, spilling some of her drink in her animated outburst.

Renji stayed quiet as he took another sip of his sake. _I'm beginning to wonder if he does. _He hoped the sake would be strong enough to make him stop thinking about Ichigo and Kuchiki Taichou's weird developments.

"Yeah, please beat Ichigo up on my behalf too, Rukia." _Can't believe that brat ditched us and a fun party for my boring ice cold captain!_

* * *

><p>The next morning however, Rukia could not bring herself to beat Ichigo up, seeing her orange haired friend so depressed.<p>

"Ichigo, did something happen? Are you alright?" Rukia asked, concerned. "You left the party early too. What's wrong?"

"I'm just worried, Rukia." Ichigo said quietly, his face sullen.

"About?"

Well, Ichigo could not possibly tell Rukia he was worried about why her brother is unhappy without her thinking he has lost his mind. He had to cover up his statement somehow. "You know, the usual, losing my powers and stuff. I'm also a little homesick. I have exams to study for too." He wondered if Rukia would actually buy that.

Rukia was not exactly buying it completely. She knew Ichigo well enough to know there was more to his worries than what he was saying.

She tried a different tactic now. Threatening him. "Well you can't just sit here moping and letting this depressed aura pollute the Kuchiki manor! Get off your lazy butt now!"

It wasn't working. Ichigo still sat there, exuding a depressed aura.

Rukia sighed. "Well, Ichigo, why don't you go and talk to Nii-sama?"

That worked. Ichigo jumped up, startled. "What?!" _How in the world did she figure out…_ "What makes you think I would feel better talking to _him_?"

Rukia was surprised at Ichigo's reaction. "Why are you freaking out like that?" She asked. "I'm saying you should talk to Nii-sama because he knows the most about the loss of your powers, since he's in charge of this mission! And you said you're homesick – Nii-sama said something about letting you go home when he had sufficient data."

Then she lowered her voice to a deadly tone and asked, "And Ichigo, are you implying that talking to my brother is a bad thing?"

"No, Rukia, I love talking to ice statues with stone hearts." Ichigo replied cheekily and ran off before Rukia could attack him for the insult to her dear brother. _But she's right, maybe I should go talk to that snob._

He could locate Byakuya's reiatsu, but it took a long time for him to actually find the noble because he kept getting lost in the maze of corridors and rooms that was the grand Kuchiki manor. He almost considered blowing a hole through the walls in his frustration, but it would be impolite even by his standards to blow up the house he was a guest in.

Finally, he found himself at the door beyond which he could sense Byakuya's reiatsu.

He entered, calling out "Bya -". Ichigo could not finish that, he clamped his mouth shut when he found the noble standing in front of what seemed to be shrine for his late wife.

Byakuya did not turn or say anything but raised his reiatsu warningly to show the noisy Substitue Shinigami that he was unwelcome.

"Sorry, I did not mean to interrupt." Ichigo apologized. But he could not quite bring himself to leave. There was something enchanting about seeing Byakuya standing before the picture of Hisana-san and the sticks of burning incense. His face was completely devoid of expression, his posture as straight and stately as ever. But surely there was so much more beneath that cold surface.

Ichigo took a bold action and walked into the room. He stood beside Byakuya and offered a prayer for Kuchiki Hisana, Byakuya's late wife.

Byakuya had been outraged when the boy showed complete disregard to his privacy and walked into the room, but now he felt surprised as he watched through the corner of his eyes that Ichigo was paying his respects to Hisana.

Kuchiki Byakuya found that this moment was a perfect representation of the predicament he was in. He had come to Hisana's shrine today not only to mourn and pay his respects, but to calm his nerves which had been set alight by Kurosaki Ichigo. He thought he would find peace if he recalled Hisana and pictured what she would say to him now. He was lost and confused about his feelings for Ichigo. Maybe if he remembered her, those ridiculous thoughts would be put to rest. But Hisana was long gone. She had nothing to say to him anymore. She was only a part of his past. Even if he tried reaching out to her, there was no way. Instead, what was with him was his present. And at present, by his side was Kurosaki Ichigo.

It stunned him that he could even compare the two. But it stunned him less than it should have. As though he had known for a while now.

Ichigo was watching Byakuya out of the corner of his eyes too. The noble was still and silent, much like the ice statue Ichigo often likened him to. But he did seem absorbed in thought. _What is he thinking of?_ _Does anyone ever know what's on his mind?_ Ichigo now looked at the picture in front of him, the lovely smiling face of Kuchiki Hisana. Byakuya had loved her. Loved her enough to go against the rules he held in such high regard. Loved her and lost her. He kept that pain inside his unmoving façade for fifty years now. Ichigo surprised himself as he felt a sudden guilty resentment at Hisana-san. She had been lucky enough to see into Byakuya's heart and be loved by him. Why did she have to leave him? Ichigo chided himself at his jealousy and for being angry at a dead person.

"Byakuya," He found himself saying. "Can I ask you something?"

There was no reply. The noble still stood completely still, looking at the framed picture before them.

Ichigo decided to go on, since he had started anyway. "What's it like, being in love?"

Byakuya's eyes widened at the unexpected question from the usually brash teenager. He found that the innocent inquisitiveness in the query charmed him.

Ichigo wondered if Byakuya would even bother to reply and he started feeling a little embarrassed that he had asked such a thing to the noble.

"It's not something that can be put into words in its entirety, Kurosaki Ichigo." Byakuya spoke up in his monotone, to Ichigo's relief and to his own surprise. "But when you are in love with someone time stands still when you are in their company, and you cannot explain why it is so. It's when one person alone can bring you more happiness than the rest of the world. It's when your bond with someone transcends all weakness. And you feel like you can give everything up for them, but that you would lose everything if you were to lose them."

With each word he said, Byakuya continued to astonish himself. Kurosaki Ichigo had asked him about love as he stood before the picture of Hisana. But the words Byakuya was saying were not in recollection of his love for her. It seemed he was stating feelings far more recent.

"That sounds pretty amazing, Byakuya," said Ichigo. _It sounds pretty familiar too._

"Have you ever been in love, Kurosaki Ichigo?" This time it was Byakuya who was asking a question.

"Yeah, I think I might," replied Ichigo, though he had no idea where that answer came from. He felt a blush creeping up his face, and he stared at his feet.

"Then you will know the answer to your question yourself. For being in love is different for each person and it is different each time," Byakuya found the words leaving his lips before he even had time to think of what he was saying._ Different…each time? What am I talking about!_

Ichigo did not know why but his pulse quickened when Byakuya said that. He kept staring at his feet, feeling his heart pounding against his ribcage.

In the awkward silence that followed, Byakuya finally looked at Ichigo, to find the endearing sight of the Substitue Shinigami blushing and looking at the ground with resolve. _This brat will be the death of my patience._

A swish of robes told Ichigo that Byakuya had turned to leave. "Is there a reason you came to see me?" The noble asked in his emotionless voice as he walked off. _Other than to ask me what love is. _"I will be off to a captains' meeting now and then to the Sixth Squad office."

Ichigo finally looked up, facing Byakuya's back as he followed him out of the room. "Yeah I wanted to ask you some stuff, but it can wait." He said, his voice still too shy for his liking.

"Very well." Byakuya's voice was cold and unwavering, not giving away that he was as nervous and confused as the teenager behind him. _Kuchiki Byakuya, what has gotten into you?_

* * *

><p>The weather had been overcast all day, and by sundown it was raining. Ichigo had fortunately managed to return inside the manor before it started raining, and he now stood on one of the porches watching the gloomy sight of rain pouring down on the gardens.<p>

Rain. It always gave him an ominous feeling. Dark clouds like these only poured misery into his life. It always rained on his darkest days.

"Is it so bad to be a guest at my manor?" Byakuya's deep smooth voice spoke up from behind Ichigo, startling him.

"Don't sneak up on me like that!" Snapped Ichigo. "And what are you talking about?"

"You look absolutely miserable," Byakuya stated dispassionately. "And when I came home I had a conversation with Rukia, who says you are homesick."

"Oh, Rukia. Don't tell her but I said that to shut her up. She was nagging me." Ichigo explained. "Please don't tell her, she'll beat me up."

Byakuya was amused at Ichigo's fear of getting beaten up by his little sister. But he knew that fear was not unjustified. "Well, Kurosaki Ichigo, your situation was one of the topics discussed at the captains' meeting today. We have enough data to make necessary predictions and precautions," Byakuya informed the Substitute Shinigami. "You may go home tomorrow if you wish." Byakuya did not really wish to part with him though.

"What if I _wish_ to stay and annoy you for a bit longer?" Quipped Ichigo.

"As a guest of this house, you are welcome to stay. However I cannot ensure that you will not have a rendezvous with Senbonzakura if you insist on _annoying_ your generous host."

"Well, I was starting to wonder if you were ill or something, with how nice you were being. Welcome back, Byakuya." Ichigo said wryly. He went back to gazing sullenly at the rain.

Byakuya was standing beside him now, observing the rain as well. Ichigo noticed that the noble had dressed down from his uniform to a lighter yukata. Ichigo would have savored the sight if the rain wasn't depressing him.

The rain started pouring down harder, and Ichigo sighed loudly.

He felt the noble's cold gaze on him.

"I hate the rain." Ichigo offered an explanation.

Byakuya looked back to the rain pouring over his gardens. "What is there to hate about rain?" He asked.

Ichigo gave a dry unhappy laugh. "I find it depressing. It always rains when something bad happens to me. I guess that's why I feel sad whenever it rains." It had rained the day Ichigo's mother had died. The rain had done nothing to wash away his despair. On the contrary, the rain came back to haunt him on all the days life had defeated him and every time he lost something important to him. "I just hate it." He said with quiet spite.

Byakuya remained quiet for a while. Ichigo knew the noble just would not get it. He remembered with bitterness the time the same Kuchiki Byakuya had attacked him ruthlessly and left him to die as he took Rukia away from Karakura town. It had rained that day as Ichigo was left in his pain and despair.

Ichigo was brought back to the present as he noticed Byakuya gracefully raising his arm and reaching out to the rain beyond the porch they were standing on. As Byakuya held his arm forward, the sleeve of his yukata fell back, exposing his pale smooth skin to the rain. Ichigo watched as raindrops splashed onto that arm, feeling anguish in his gut at the way the ominous rain fell upon the perfection that was Byakuya's skin. Yet, he could not tear his eyes from the sight of the drops of water forming and trickling off his arm, only to be replaced by more dancing drops.

"You speak as though the rain is to be blamed for your troubles, Kurosaki Ichigo." The smooth voice made Ichigo tear his eyes away from Byakuya's arm back to his face. The expressionless, flawless face watching the rain placidly through beautiful grey eyes.

But the arrogance in the beautiful man's voice vexed Ichigo as always. "Yeah, it must sound pretty stupid to you that I hate the weather for the bad things that happen to me." He said bitterly. _As if Byakuya would understand my emotions!_

Byakuya drew his arm back and calmly said, "It is merely a matter of perspective."

Ichigo frowned at him and asked, "What?"

"You have come to associate the rain with all the negativity in your life. But have you ever tried looking at it differently?" Byakuya asked Ichigo. Though not as beautiful to him as moonlit quiet nights, the sight, sound and smell of a rainy day was a uniquely beautiful side of nature that Byakuya appreciated too.

"What's there to see if I look at it differently? It's just gloomy, sad rain. Like the sky is crying." Ichigo complained.

"If you let go of the negative images, you may find beauty in the rain too."

Ichigo looked out into the gardens again. _Nope, I don't see it._ "I guess my _perspective _is just that screwed up." He had to admit Byakuya was annoying him with all this talk about looking at rain differently. Ichigo hated rain, and that was that.

"Perhaps that can be helped." Byakuya said mysteriously.

Ichigo's eye twitched at the noble's persistence. "How?" He still asked.

"By showing you the rain from a positive angle."

Ichigo was about to snap _no thanks_, but before that he found his breath hitching as he felt Byakuya's warm but wet hand on his arm. Before he could process what was happening, Byakuya had pulled him outside and they were both standing in the rain.

"Byakuya, you idiot! What are you doing – we'll get drenched!" Ichigo exclaimed. Drenched, like the day Ichigo had his outburst with Byakuya and threw him out of the house.

But Byakuya looked beautiful drenched in rain.

Ichigo looked up from the hand on his arm. The sight before him indeed took his breath away. The stunning Kuchiki Byakuya stood before him, firmly holding his arm as the rain poured down on both of them.

The raindrops shamelessly splashed all over Byakuya now, soaking his silken black hair and trailing down his pale smooth skin, seeping into the fabric of his yukata so that it stuck against his firm body.

Ichigo's voice was gone. His pulse was speeding up. How had he managed to land here, on a garden in the Kuchiki manor, held in place by the head of the Kuchiki clan in the midst of this downpour?

Byakuya's grey eyes gazed determinedly at him, the coldness gone and replaced by something softer, something warmer and absolutely enchanting.

"What are you doing, Byakuya?" Ichigo found himself mumbling rather than the assertive question he had attempted. He willed himself not to blush as he drew his arm away. He did not want Byakuya to feel him heating up even though the rain was so cold against his skin.

"Helping you take a closer look at the rain, so that you may see the beauty in it." Byakuya said in his monotone.

_Oh I see a beauty in the rain alright, _a voice inside Ichigo's mind quipped, much to Ichigo's further dismay.

"You need some positive images to associate with rain, Kurosaki Ichigo."

Still gazing firmly into Ichigo's eyes, Byakuya pushed wet strands of his black hair away from his face. Then he lifted his face to the sky, letting the drops fall on his face directly as Ichigo tried not to stare at a very _inviting _perfect pale neck. How those lucky drops trailed down to his pale chest.

_Why does he have to be so freaking gorgeous? _Ichigo's logic was shutting down again. _Bastard! He's so full of himself! He's doing this on purpose._ It was pretty impossible to believe, but Kuchiki Byakuya was giving Ichigo a show!

"Oh, and it's a _positive _thing to be standing in this God forsaken downpour with someone like you?" Ichigo needed a defiant front to hide his true feelings behind.

Byakuya looked at him now instead of the sky. Kurosaki Ichigo looked irresistible, blushing while trying to put up a rebellious front, soaked in rainwater from his orange hair down his beautiful skin to his wet shihakusho embracing his lean fit form.

Kuchiki Byakuya boldly reached out, pulling the Substitute Shinigami to him with one hand on his waist, watching those lovely chocolate colored eyes widen. With his other hand he reached to the wet orange bangs pasted limp against Ichigo's forehead and slowly pushed them away.

"Are you saying that it's not, Kurosaki Ichigo?" He asked, his deep voice lowered. And then he smiled.

_Byakuya…is smiling. Oh my God. Byakuya is smiling._ Ichigo's knees went weak and his mouth hung open at the unbelievable sight. He was not sure whether or not to be glad the man did not smile more often, for it was too sexy to handle. Ichigo could never have imagined how much more gorgeous that face could look. And this smile – it was a half a grin, half a smirk, mischievous, seductive arrogant one. Ichigo could not believe he was seeing it, but now he wished no one else would. That he could keep that sexy sight only to himself.

To add to his utter shock, the smile was followed by a nearly imperceptible short low chuckle, undoubtedly directed at his state. _Even his laugh is insanely hot, if you can call that a laugh, _Ichigo was thinking as Byakuya's face went back to its usual except the burning playful glint in his grey eyes.

Ichigo whined inside his mind as Byakuya's hands were removed from his person and the noble stepped away.

"I am glad you have found that it can rain during pleasant experiences too," Byakuya stated calmly and arrogantly. "However, do you plan on standing in the downpour forever?" Byakuya was already on his way back to the porch, while the Substitute Shinigami seemed to have been rendered immobile.

Ichigo snapped to his senses, at least partially and started following him inside. His mind, pulse and breathing were still racing over what had just happened. Well, Byakuya had certainly taken care of what Ichigo associates with the rain – because surely, every time it rained after this day, Ichigo's mind would be filled with the ridiculously hot _images _from today. _Now that might prove uncomfortable…_

As he stepped back on the porch, soaked and shivering yet so very hot, he found that the noble had taken his eyes off him and was instead looking out into the gardens again. Ichigo found his gaze following Byakuya's.

The rain was slowing to a drizzle. The twilight sky was starting to clear up. And across it was a beautiful rainbow.

Ichigo stepped to right beside Byakuya, so that theirs shoulders were brushing, the coldness from the rainwater dissipating at the contact. He did not notice Byakuya's eyelashes fluttering at the touch as they stood together, dripping rainwater onto the porch and gazing at the rainbow.

Perspective could change things so much. This Kuchiki Byakuya was the same one he had once resented and battled, the same Byakuya that he thought of as all heartless arrogance. The same Byakuya he had wanted out of his life the moment he stepped into Karakura town on his mission. The same Byakuya he thought could never smile. Yet, with a matter of changed perspectives, this was where he was with Byakuya now.

Next to Byakuya, drawn to him in this maddening way, and no place where he'd rather be even if he hated to admit it.

_And he even fucking smiled…_Yes, that would take a while getting over. Ichigo sighed in frustration.

* * *

><p><strong>Next Chapter: <strong>Duty and the Will to Protect

**A/N**: So much fluff! Couldn't help it. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! If you did, please review. I can't guarantee the next update will be very soon. But I'll try my best!


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